Something Dark This Way Comes
by VinceT
Summary: Harry Potter: time-traveller extraordinaire. Casting himself back in time Harry's determined to make this life count; to make the magical world a better, more accepting place. It doesn't hurt to have some fun while he's at it, as well as change himself for the better. Dark!NotEvil!Harry, Harry/OC/Hr/Nym romance, slave relationship later with undisclosed!Vamp.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** Harry James Potter-Black is a ruthlessly Dark wizard, only without the whole evil thing going on. After the conclusion of the Second Wizarding War he leaves Magical Britain behind and travels, learning things that would make Hermione have an aneurism. Finally deciding to mess with the very fabric of the universe he sends himself back into his younger body to wreak havoc and make sure that all the crap that happened 'last time' doesn't happen again.

Follow Harry as he makes a name for himself, gets himself a girl and then some girl troubles, and leads a life as his own man.

**Categories:** Super!Harry, time-travel, Dark!NotEvil!Harry, Senile!Dumbles  
**Genres:** Adult, Adventure, AU, Crossover, Romance  
**Pairings:** Harry/OC/Hermione/Tonks/Undisclosed!Vamp (as a slave)  
**Warnings:** Adult Themes

* * *

**Challenge: **OdinMage's (Dark Harry Time Travel) Challenge #1

**Summary: -**

Dark Lord Harry, several years after having killed Voldemort, goes back in time to some unspecified time between his 5th and 14th birthdays (the number 9 being powerful, and the extent of the spells variance). Once there, he relives his life from that point, continuing down his dark path.

**Terms: -**

Must haves:  
1) Harry must have followers AND some sort of mark or glyph, though it doesn't have to be a tattoo (ie. it can be a ring, pendant, brand, tattoo, anything). **Accepted: Ring**

2) Harry must, at some point, kill Ginny. A bonus if he wipes out the whole Weasley clan. **Accepted**

3) The story can be any straight ship, single, multi- or harem, but there must be one girl that is his slave. Not someone he loves or cares about, but someone who he keeps just to humiliate and degrade and use. **Harem: Hermione****, Tonks, OC, Undisclosed!Vamp**

4) He will be very strong magically, and more knowledgable than in cannon, but only to the extent that he has learned more since cannon, not that he suddenly had the knowledge of all the Wizengamot laws downloaded into his head (though he CAN have Voldemorts knowledge; maybe that is where some of his stronger magic came from, killing Voldemort involved sucking his mind and magic from his body and letting it and his soul die). **Voldemort's knowledge absorbed, as well as several other horcruxes.**

5) Rituals! Whether things he did before going back or things he waited to do until he goes back; maybe some rituals work better (or only work) on a child, and not an adult? (ie. things to enhance speed, strength, stamina, maybe enhance cognitive ability). **Accepted: vaguely alluded to in regards Harry; rituals his girls go through will be described more.**

Must NOT haves:  
1) NO SLASH. **Duh.**

2) No shopping spree for a trunk with 7 giant rooms and a built in time-turner; that said, he CAN bring things back with him IF the method of time travel brings his physical body back to that point in the past (ie. if it is just his soul or soul and magic that go back, he can't bring anything, but if he goes back physically, even something as easy as a super-time-turner, and then uses a spell to merge his future self into his younger body, he can). **Accepted.**

3) If the story isn't going to include the crap that was book 6, then Dumbledore still has to have died somehow in the war against Voldemort (ie. Voldemort or a Death Eater killed him, NOT Harry) but Harry can kill him in the new timeline. **Accepted.**

4) If Harry goes back to before Hogwarts, he CANNOT be sorted into Slytherin. Any other house is fine, but my thinking is that by that point he would be far too 'slytherin' to let himself get labled as one. **Well whoops... too late, so NOT accepted.**

5) No friendships with Draco or Snape. They can become his followers, but NOT friends. **Easily done: Accepted.**

* * *

Harry James Potter-Black was not a very happy man, and so far as he could remember he never had been. Oh there were several occasions he could remember being contented and smug, but happy was almost a foreign term to him. The Dursleys had beat 'happy' out of him quite thoroughly as a child, and his years at Hogwarts hadn't been much better. First year was composed of a rather stupid white-haired idiot deciding that tempting Voldemort with the Philosopher's Stone was a good idea for a test; second was a Basilisk and a horcrux that, once again, a certain white-haired idiot thought was a good idea to let continue on; third was rather mundane in comparison, but Harry had still had to face a werewolf and swarms of Dementors. Fourth year was the blasted Triwizard Tournament, and fifth consisted of Harry eventually ending up facing the Dark Wanker himself after his godfather had been hurled through the veil.

And then that damned prophesy.

Oh, just thinking about how Dumbledore had thrown that on him mere minutes after having his godfather die before his very eyes made him clench his fist in anger; his knuckles whitening from the fury running through his veins. The next two years after that had been a complete and utter mess. Dumbledore'd been murdered by the Greasy Git, and then there was the matter of horcruxes; disgusting, vile pieces of bastardized immortality that made even Harry gag – and that was truly saying something considering how dark he was.

No, Harry James Potter-Black was not an overly happy man in general, but at this very moment in time he was for the first time he could remember, actually gleeful. He stared down at the huge runescape beneath his feet with a wide grin splitting his face, and thought back to just how long it had taken him to achieve such a momentous feat, and what had led him to this very moment. After defeating Voldemort Harry had slunk into the shadows of the wizarding world, much to the anger of his 'friends'. He could still see their faces gaping at him when he told them all that he knew about how they'd been manipulating them. Almost immediately he was snapped up by the Department of Mysteries who offered him unlimited and unrestricted research credentials just so long as he forwarded his findings onto them.

He'd taken the offer, but had quite promptly discovered a loophole in the blood-contract they had him swear to. Suffice to say they only got the tamest of his discoveries. He'd spent three years without break travelling the world and learning magics thought lost and black beyond all imagining, and had found his personality shifting with his magic. The blacker his magic became so too did his countenance, though he was not foolish enough to lose himself to Dark Arts Dependency. He still retained some small glimmer of morality, as well as the capability to care and love for people, but the rest of him was entirely changed by the experiences he had during his travels.

He could still remember when he'd killed his first person during the Second War; how he'd frozen up mid-battle despite being in mortal danger, and how he'd caught a cutting hex right up his side for his idiocy. The thought that he was once so weak and restrained by society's perceived ideals was disgusting to him, even seven years after the fact. Since then he'd killed more people than he could count, and it rarely bothered him. He never killed without reason, for instance all the blood that was used for the runes at his feet, which covered the size of a football field, was taken from murderers, rapists, and traitors of the worst degree. The pile of nearly one thousand bodies he had drawn the crimson liquid from was a dark shadow across the back wall of the huge room within which he stood; surrounded by a stasis rune so that the entire place didn't stink of rotten flesh.

The construct beneath him was the result of a year's worth of torture – delivered by himself to several dark mages he'd abducted from America, Europe, and Australia. Well to be truthful it was the result of that, _as well_ as another year actually drawing the runes required for the ritual he had planned. Oh he knew that when he executed the rite it would hurt more than anything he'd ever felt in his entire life, but that knowledge did nothing to wipe the triumphant grin off of his face. He'd love to see the look on Hermione's face if she saw what he had created. She'd be disgusted, of that there was no doubt, but he could just imagine the immense jealousy that he'd surpassed her in every single way when it came to magic.

Harry Potter-Black knew he was the darkest wizard since Le Fay, perhaps even more so than the Mother of Dark Arts herself, and he was damn proud of it. The runes at his feet, stretching for hundreds of meters outwards from where he stood, made up a temporal runeset that would make Unspeakables jizz in their pants. It was entirely theoretical, supposedly impossible, but Harry was confident in his abilities. He'd studied what he'd done for years; double and triple checking to make sure that his life wasn't going to be thrown away in vain, and he was sure it would work.

And if it didn't then the latent magical power would destroy the entire world around him anyways.

He looked down at his naked body; his eyes skimming over the shiny white tissue of the scars littering his body, as well as the black wolf tattoo that ran down his arm, ending just above his elbow. Its teeth snarled back at him, and its red eyes glimmered with suppressed power. The reason behind that was because the tattoo stored his aura safely away so that the one he projected outwards seemed light – because it just wouldn't do to be seen exuding an aura befitting of dark energy that would make even the Flamels' knees buckle. His body was toned to absolute perfection, a finely tuned machine carved out and tuned for battle. No excess fat clung to him, and all the muscle that he did have was lean and powerful; allowing him to hide his power so long as his body was covered.

He was still short at 5" 7', and that he blamed solely on the Dursleys, though he'd be remedying that within the next day or two. He sat down on the cold marble floor and crossed his legs; his wand in his hands and pointing towards his chest from his lap. Blood surrounded him; coppery smells invading his nostrils, and he smiled. With a deep breath he released the self-imposed blocks he had on his magic, and he could feel the crimson life-blood of thousands around him soaking up what he fed it; charging it for the impossible ritual to come. The lines turned darker and darker until they were black with dark magic, and it was then that Harry opened his eyes; thrumming emerald with power, and a wide smirk spread over his face. "Avada Kedavra."


	2. Chapter 2

It was almost like a sandcastle slowly getting washed away, saves it was the lethargy that left one after sleep that replaced the sand. Grains of consciousness slowly slid into the sea that was his mind; small fragments of memory and knowledge shimmering into existence on the seabed that contained his entire life and Harry James Potter-Black became aware.

Slowly the block of sand that was his future-self slid into place where it belonged, and the mindscape changed to abide its orders. The sea froze over, leaving an almost-kilometer-thick skin over top of his mind, and gravity suddenly increased to unfathomable pressures. The ice compacted under the strain until it was as strong as iron, and the sand on the seabed was forced into obsidian-like consistency that would repel and reflect any attempts to decipher its meaning.

Harry let out a small sigh of content as his barriers covered his mind; swathing it in security, and he could already tell he had succeeded in his mission. There was the undeniable smell of wood around him, as well as the dankness of an enclosed space that never got any air. The faint traces of copper signified the blood that had been recently spilled, and the foul scent of the sheets underneath him was so disgustingly familiar that he grinned. His body was broken, he could feel it; two broken ribs, both arms snapped, shattered collar bone, compacted vertebrae, cracked pelvis, internal bleeding, and a sprained ankle all told him where, or more importantly _when_ he was. It was the 26th of September 1987; the day after he'd been beaten by Vernon for accidentally apparating onto the school roof to get away from Dudley. He could feel his magic realigning bones and mending his injuries, and although the pain was what would have most people screaming in agony to Harry it was simply mundane. He'd had far, far worse.

Slowly light begun seeping underneath the cracks of the door and Harry felt his magic accelerate until his body snapped into readiness and his core immediately shifted its priorities into absorbing elements from around him to cure the malnutrition he was suffering from. Another hour passed as he felt the atrophy fade from his muscles, and another as he felt them strengthen to something no eight year old would naturally possess. He reached over and poked his bicep, and grinned when he felt the steel-like tension lurking there, ready to be released. He sat up in his shithole of a bed and stopped himself just short of slamming his head into one of the stairs above his head. "Glad I remembered that," he murmured to himself as he stared at the wood mere millimeters from his eyes, "slamming head within hours of arriving… not cool."

He slumped back onto the mattress which creaked and moaned at the unexpected pressure, and he wondered just how many times he'd have to do that to make the flimsy piece of shit buckle. "Fuck it," he grumbled in an entirely un-eight-year-old-like manner, and he rolled off the bed onto the ground before waving his hand vaguely at the door to unlock it. He emerged into the empty hallway outside the cupboard and gave a small moan as he stretched out; his body cracking in several places as it slowly adjusted to the new strength and health it held. Yawning as he walked casually into the kitchen he grabbed two of Petunia's favorite knives and wrapped them in towels before slipping them down the back of his baggy pants, and tightened his clothing around him with a small wave of his hand. He could hear sounds of wakefulness from above, and wondered just how Vernon would react when he realized that he was no longer there. Slipping out the back door he made his way through the crack in the fence leading to the next-door neighbor's house and then yard-jumped a few more times before emerging onto the street.

He held up his hand and flickered his magic to crudely imitate a wand signature, and a moment later, with a deafening bang, a bright yellow bus was in front of him. The man who greeted him froze when he saw an eight year old staring back at him, and leaned forwards with a raised eyebrow. "You the one that called?"

"Yep," Harry shot back dryly, and the messy-haired blonde looked around suspiciously.

"No parents?"

"Nope."

"Well that's a bit odd. Who'd you say you were again?"

Harry rolled his eyes as he stepped into the bus, "I didn't. Leaky Cauldron." A minor confundus charm made the man think he had paid and that everything was slightly less weird, and after holding on for dear life the bus took off once more. Harry loved the Night and Day busses; they were delightfully chaotic, and Harry chuckled when he saw a man sleeping on one of the beds fall off and just continue snoring. In under a minute Harry was flung forwards; his arms automatically vaulting him off the floor so he didn't faceplant and the conductor stared at him with a frown. "You sure you don't need to go to St Mungos or nothing?"

"Quite sure," Harry assured the man curtly, "thanks for the ride."

Before his foot had even hit the pavement the bus was gone, and he was left standing in front of the oh-so-familiar Leaky Cauldron. It brought back lots of memories, not all of them good, and Harry took in a deep breath before pushing the door open and stepping outside. It was reasonably deserted at that time in the morning, but Tom was there cleaning that seemingly-perpetually-dirty glass with his favorite white tea towel. The man looked up with a raised eyebrow to see who was coming in so early, and his eyes widened when he saw a boy of merely eight standing there looking around. "You alright son?"

Harry finally turned his attention to the man and was pleased for once that his fringe was so long and covered his scar. He nodded, and sent the man a warm smile – though it did seem slightly strained. Harry'd never really had much reason to smile genuinely before in this timeline, and his cheek muscles laboured with the continued effort. "Just need to get into Diagon, and I can't reach the stones."

"Ah, right then," Tom said as he stepped out from behind the counter, leading the black-haired boy to the portal. "Your parents not with you?"

"They're at a meeting at Gringotts," Harry lied easily, "my friend who I was staying with just dropped me off. I'm supposed to meet them there."

Tom looked greatly relieved at the explanation, and Harry smirked to himself. '_So easily fooled,' _he thought as Tom gladly opened the portal for him and he stepped into Diagon proper, '_it's no wonder Voldemort has such an easy time of things_.' He didn't waste time dawdling and bathing in the nostalgia, and instead made a beeline right for Gringotts – he had some very serious business to conduct. The guards at the door sent him odd looks, something rather rare, but Harry paid them no heed as he stepped forth without even sparing them a glance. He could feel the tattoo on his right arm sucking in as much of his dark aura as it could, as it was programmed to when in proximity to Gringotts, and sighed to himself as he looked appraisingly around at the insides of the bank. He didn't want to arouse suspicion too soon, else things might escalate out of control, and Harry James Potter-Black was all about control.

He walked hesitantly up to one of the managers, and the goblin stared down at him with a sneer; his eyes squinting intimidatingly and his teeth slowly making an appearance; needle sharp and yellow. Harry immediately dropped the innocent-kid act and glared up at the creature, and sneered himself when he jerked back slightly. "I bring charges of treason against the Goblin nation – take me to your leader."

The manager stared down at him with mute shock before leaning forwards, a clearly hostile retort on his lips, but Harry stopped him by releasing his magic into his eyes, which darkened several shades. The goblin gulped when he saw Harry's shadow flickering and writhing completely independent of the boy himself, and then nodded before stepping down from his till and leading the way into the bowels of Gringotts. Harry caught some shocked looks from other patrons that had watched the exchange, and obliviated them as he rounded the corner out of their sight with a scowl. Too many eyes watched in the magical world, and Harry James Potter-Black was not about to let some nosey little bastard catch him out and ruin everything before it even begun.

They finally came to a grand set of gold doors, and Harry's guide, just as tall as he was, took in a deep breath of preparation before pushing forwards. Harry strode into the room beyond without an invitation, and without even glancing at the quickly-angering head goblin spoke; snarling his command deep in the goblin tongue. _I authorize immunity on confirmation seven six zero zero five four nine._

Every single goblin gaped at the young boy when Gringotts thrummed with acknowledgement, and Harry strode forward before sitting down directly opposite the king of the Goblin nation with a small sneer. _Now, about me getting access to my vaults and killing my traitorous account manager…_

An hour later Harry was walking out of the bank ten thousand galleons richer, with his account under King Ragnok's personal command, and all the rare tomes in the Potter vault shrunken and in his pocket. After defeating Voldemort the goblins had seized his accounts and vaults, and he'd never gotten the chance to peruse their contents. He hated the goblins for that, the vindictive little bastards, but after his studies overseas and some… compelling encouragement against some Gringotts personnel he had… acquired, well he was well on track to having a very smooth relationship with the Goblin nation. After a quick trip into Madam Malkin's, which turned out to be not so quick after he told her he wanted clothes for all occasions, and a stop by Flourish and Blotts to grab a book-bag, he was on his way once more; walking down into the depths of Knockturn Alley. Within seconds a hag had tried to grab for him, and had found herself minus-head.

Harry didn't even pause in his stride, leaving the headless body bleeding out behind him as a warning to anybody that had seen. It took several more deaths for the inhabitants of Knockturn to realize that the person among them was dark enough and ruthless enough to belong, but Harry still kept his bloodied knife in his hand. It took some searching, the maze of the alley always having been a problem for the twenty five year old eight year old, but he finally located the shop he was looking for and entered. It looked precisely like it had the last time he'd entered this place. It reminded him distinctly of Ollivander's, with the only difference being the fact that the shelves were doused in an unnatural darkness due to the cores of the wands residing within literally warping reality to a small extent. He calmly blocked the knife coming at his throat, and looked up into the heavily scarred face of the German wand maker with a small sneer. "Killing potential customers now, are we Herr Kaufmann?" The eyes glaring dangerously down at him narrowed in suspicion, and Harry didn't turn his gaze away, instead allowing his aura to do all the talking for him.

He released his tattoo's hold on his darkness, and the wand maker jerked back in complete shock and fear; stumbling and crashing into a large pile of wood blanks; his eyes wide and his expression twisted into one of horror. Harry smirked at the reaction; the only features visible on his face his burning green eyes; everything else concealed within shadow. He had to be careful with his identity after all as the man in front of him was a Death Eater. "I'm in the market for a finely-carved juniper wand that's been soaked in Nundu blood; ten and three twentieth inches long; kraken heartstring core, and capped with a blood diamond. You wouldn't happen to have that in your inventory, would you?"

The terrified wand maker jolted to his feet before hurrying down the stacks, and mere seconds later returned trembling and holding out a thin, long box to him, and Harry grinned with bright eyes as he took it from the man's fingers; pulling off the lid to reveal the wand within. It was jet-black in appearance, due to the Nundu blood, and the diamond glinting on the top of the wand was flawless. Several platinum runes were carved into the base of the wand, and with a wave of his hand Harry caused several more to appear. In the previous timeline it had taken him years to come across the ritual he was about to perform; to bind the wand to him and him alone, and he was glad he knew it this time around; there was no way he was going to have a repeat of Voldemort casting crucio on him with his own wand like last time. He sliced his hand open with the knife he still held, after cleaning it first of course, and then grasped the length of wood within his blood-soaked palm.

The rush of pure energy he felt jolt through his body was intoxicating, and he grinned maniacally as he felt it bind to his core. Within the wand itself the components were suddenly covered in his blood, which simmered furiously to reduce the kraken heartstring into a liquid core. When the transformation finished Harry felt yet another wave of power burn through his veins, and all of the shadows in the shop coalesced around him; the only thing visible in the darkness being his emerald eyes that were smouldering with power. Suddenly, with an audible rushing sound, everything returned to normal, and Harry sneered at the trembling wand maker. The man himself was terrified for his life. Even when he had stood before the Dark Lord himself he had never felt so much power and darkness; so much control and precision over such wild magic, and that thought scared him more than he would ever admit. Harry threw a bag of galleons onto the counter, and the loud thump made Kaufmann actually whimper – something that had never before happened. "I was never here."

With another wince and a nod Harry swooped out of the shop, grinning as he cast a slight levitation charm on his cloak which made it billow out behind him. He'd learned Snape's little secret the moment before he'd killed him after torturing the sallow-faced man for weeks on end for what he'd done. It turned out that the man had a taste for young boys, and had frequently raped the first years to 'keep them in their place'. According to what Harry had managed to extract from the disgusting little rapist, the only person to have escaped that particular fate was Draco; his godson. Harry had eventually gotten to know Blaize Zabini in the last two years of his last life, and had found the man to be excellent company, though after nearly a year of friendship the dark-skinned wizard had confessed to Harry that due to Snape's treatment in first year he'd never been romantically involved with anybody. He simply felt too ashamed of what had been done to him; had considered himself unworthy of anybody's love. Harry, in one of his rare moments of compassion, had felt his heart clench when he heard that Blaize was deeply in love with Daphne Greengrass but had never made a move because of Snape's despicable actions.

Harry intended to remedy that this time around.

Two more Knockturn inhabitants met their untimely end before Harry was through with the alley, and he finally emerged back into Diagon feeling a whole lot better. He could feel his wand stuck to the underside of his right arm almost like an extension of himself – and in a way it was. Its very essence was now tied intimately to his blood, and as such he could save himself the need to buy a wand holster; his magic was so ingrained within the deathstick that he could make it do almost anything he wanted.

He puddled about for a few hours, stopping by Florean's for a rather smashing Banana Split at one point, before walking back into muggle London and calling the day bus again, and within seconds, with a bang as was customary, Harry found himself staring at the same operator he had that morning. "You again?" he murmured almost disbelievingly, and Harry nodded.

"Yep."

"Still no parents?"

"Nope."

"That's mighty odd you know… what'd you say your name was again?"

Harry rolled his eyes as he boarded and paid the fare; it seemed like both the night _and_ day bus were fated to have rather dim conductors. Interestingly, the time dilation features of the night and day bus were what led to Harry thinking about time travel, and what ultimately led to his current predicament. The raven-haired boy was just glad that he didn't have to put up with a droll and idiotic conductor when he'd sent his soul back in time.

As he was thrown around he thought about the physics of the whole process, and wondered just why on Earth he hadn't used the intelligence that had led to time travel during Hogwarts. He clearly had the smarts, enough smarts that he could outperform Hermione by a country mile, and then those very smarts provided him with a rather easy answer.

Ronald.

Once again, he'd be rectifying that mistake in this timeline.

With another stomach-wrenching jolt the bus halted, and Harry was out the door before the rather inquisitive conductor could even announce the stop. Harry breathed a sigh of relief when the driver blasted away before the man could ask about his parents once more, and walked down the pavement with a smile on his face, though it was a very small one. His younger body had yet to get adjusted to such an action. All in all, the day so far had been very productive. He had complete control over his vaults, some new tomes of knowledge, had the ear of the Goblin King, had a new wand, a shed-load of clothes for all occasions – including muggle, and most of his new things were tucked away in his book bag which was unbreakable, and locked by his blood and a phrase in Parseltongue.

'_Perhaps'_, he mused, _'just being dressed properly once again makes me feel so confident. In the last time the very same happened; as soon as I had access to my vault and got dressed up I felt like a completely new person…'_ It didn't escape him that his current attire was almost completely black. He chuckled, _'I suppose you are what you wear, no?_'

He didn't even enter the house before the Dursley household was in an uproar. Petunia was out in the garden, crudely pruning her roses with a distinct lack of knowledge and finesse, clearly because Harry wasn't there doing it for her, and the moment she saw him she screeched and pointed. "You! How dare you!" Harry raised a rather non-amused eyebrow, and she immediately shrunk in on herself when she saw people peeking out of curtains to see what all the fuss was about. She rushed over to him and almost dragged him inside, and the moment he was in the door Vernon, who had also come to investigate the racket, turned puce-faced. Harry had always been secretly impressed and awed by the colours Vernon could turn just through a change in emotion. The saying 'turning green' was usually just that; a saying, however with Vernon, if he felt sick, there was in all honesty a genuine green hue to his face. Harry had always wondered whether the walrus of a man had been cursed at some point.

"BOY!"

And there it was; the word that Harry hated more than anything in his entire life. His amused expression clattered to the floor and shattered with an almost audible crash, and complete hate rushed into his eyes and face as he watched Vernon approach. The stupid man was so enraged he didn't realize the danger, but Petunia, who had rushed to behind her husband so she was protected from the 'freak' did see it, and she paled. Harry could feel that his magical pathways were small, almost non-existent in fact; he'd felt it every time he'd cast a wandless spell so far in this timeline, but a little bit of magic could do a hell of a lot – especially if you knew how to use it.

Harry did.

Magic surged into his muscles, tissue, and bone; temporarily strengthening and enhancing everything about him. To hold onto such a state for long with such an untrained body was detrimental, but Harry wasn't intending for him to require very long. A meaty fist approached almost in slow motion, and Harry batted it away with little effort; scowling at the act almost as if swatting away an insignificant fly. He stepped inside Vernon's guard and delivered two sharp, but immensely powerful jabs to the man's sternum, and heard a dull splintering as it fractured slightly. With a pained yowl the huge man crunched over in an effort to protect his injury, but that was the last thing he did before falling unconscious. The sharp curling-over motion coupled with Harry's quickly-rising knee ended up with Vernon keeling over backwards dead to the world; an already-forming lump where Harry's knee had slammed.

"VERNON!"

Petunia rushed to her husband's side; worry rampant on her face, and after a moment turned to Harry with fury written all over her expression. It quickly turned fearful when she saw the look in her nephew's eyes. "Living room now," Harry growled icily, "it's time we all had a talk."

Petunia all but dragged the unconscious Vernon into the ordered place and screeched for Dudley. Harry considered the fact she managed to move the lump of fat at all an achievement, let alone getting him into the lounge and up onto a chair. Dudley slouched in a moment later, and stared at Harry when he saw the new clothes. With a sneer on his face he turned to his mother. "Muuuuuuummmm!" he whined, "Harry's got new clothes! Why does he get new clothes! I want them!"

"Dudley," Harry drawled, ignoring his aunt's pale, terrified expression, "you couldn't squeeze into my clothes even if you fasted for a year. Get over next to your mother and SIT THE FUCK DOWN!" He finished with a roar, and Dudley paled before rushing over to his mum and sitting down quivering. Although he couldn't see the waves of magic pouring off of Harry, he could feel it. Harry flicked his wand into his hand, and Petunia paled further before drawing Dudley closer to her side. A silent _enervate_ and Vernon was awake once more, and he looked set on continuing his rant when he saw Harry but for his wife to grasp his arm almost painfully. She shook her head warningly; immense fear in her eyes, and then looked back at the young boy she had abused for years.

Harry smirked as he twirled his wand between his fingers. "Good, we're all here. You see, my loving family, I thought it was time we sat down and had a little chat."

"Boy-"

"You call me that one more time, Vernon, and you'll find out the kind of pain I can cause you. The Unforgivables are out because of the surveillance wards around this house, but trust me when I tell you that I can think of ways to torture you that would make your toes curl just thinking about them." The huge whale of a man seemed disbelieving, and Harry smirked before jerking his wand slightly. A loud crunching sound echoed out in the small room, and Harry quickly erected silencing wards as his uncle turned pale. It wasn't a moment too soon either, because the moment they snapped into place the man screamed in agony as he clutched his broken arm to his fat belly; tears streaming down his face. "Hurts, doesn't it?" Harry commented idly, "I should know, considering you've done that twice to me. Why just last night in fact you fractured four of my ribs, count them, four."

"I will have none of your FREAKISHNESS IN THIS HOUSE!" the crying man bit out furiously, and Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, will you not? Because the way I see it Uncle, you don't have a fucking choice. I couldn't give less of a shit if you died right now to be perfectly honest, but the fact remains that I _do_ give a shit about somebody finding out I killed you – which would almost certainly happen considering the kind of spells this house is under."

Harry walked casually over to the leather chair in the room and sunk down into it. He smirked when he saw Vernon redden, as Harry wasn't even allowed to be in the lounge let alone use anything within, but he held himself back as a jolt of agony from his arm reminded him just who held the power. "You're learning," Harry commented jauntily, "that's wonderful! Now you're going to listen a little bit more, and learn just what's going to change in this house." The youth sat forward, and the Dursleys all sat back when they saw the darkness in his eyes and the cruel smile on his lips. "I hate all of you. I hate you so much that I'd kill you without the slightest bit of regret, but I won't because I need you." He saw the glint of an idea in Vernon's mind and quickly squashed it. "Oh don't think you can bargain, Uncle," he warned, "because I could just as easily _force_ you to do my bidding if you didn't do it willingly. Besides, I have a feeling you'll like this deal." Now the man looked interested. "We hate each other, see, and so I think a mutually pleasing solution will be perfect. In exchange for me not cutting off the stipend you get paid for taking care of me," cue pale faces from the two adults, a wide smirk from Harry, and a confused expression from Dudley, "I will move into Dudley's _second_ bedroom. I don't need the biggest one in the house. In addition to that, you will completely ignore me, and in return I will completely ignore you. You need not feed me, talk to me, provide me with money, take me with you on trips, anything like that. We will simply pretend that we cannot see one another."

Both Petunia and Vernon looked stunned at the deal being offered, and Harry smiled slightly. "The only thing I expect you to pay for is my schooling, which will continue. Also, my room will be… protected. You won't be able to enter it, and I suggest you don't try because the results would be… embarrassing and painful for you. Is everything agreeable so far?"

Vernon and Petunia looked at one another before turning back to the raven-haired wizard and nodding, and Harry nodded back. "Good. Now there are just two more things that are a part of this deal. The first pertains to Dudley." Harry's horse-faced aunt paled at the thought of an incoming punishment, but sunk in relief when all Harry did was glare at the pudgy boy. "You will pretend as if I do not exist, Dudley – completely. That means that you and your little gang leave me the _hell_ alone. You don't intimidate people to not become my friends, you don't spread rumours, and you don't do _anything_ to piss me off. If you do, it will be painful – am I understood?"

"Muuuuuummmmm! Tell the freak to stop bossing me around!"

Dudley found out just what 'painful' meant when Harry flicked his wand and broke his finger. Dudley wailed with pain; fat tears running down his cheeks almost immediately, and Harry rolled his eyes as the youth bawled and Petunia cooed to him pale-faced and looking fearfully to the new ruler of the house. With another flick of his wand two loud snapping sounds erupted from Vernon and Dudley as their bones mended forcefully, and both screamed at the battle-field healing spell. It wasn't made for subtlety, but it got the job done. Another wave of his wand and both males were silenced – though pained tears still rolled down their cheeks. Harry glared at Dudley. "_That_ is what I mean by painful, Dudley, and I can do far worse. AM I UNDERSTOOD?"

The little whale nodded furiously, and Harry's enraged expression calmed until he looked almost civil. "Good. Now the last condition, all of you, is that if anybody asks about me then you must act as if none of this happened; that I'm still a freak, that you still hate me, which isn't really a lie, that I'm weak, that I'm a quiet, obedient little boy, all that kind of shit." He turned to Petunia, "And if Dumbledore," the woman paled even further at the name, "or any other magicals come by then do NOT look them in the eye; they will read your mind and I simply cannot afford them finding out about this. Are all of these conditions satisfactory?"

He waved his wand to unsilence Vernon, and the man nodded shakily after a moment, but then narrowed his eyes. "How do we know you won't just stop the money?"

"A fair question," Harry admitted, "but I thought it would be clear. I don't want anybody knowing what I can do, and I know that if I stop paying you then you'll go blabbing. The way I see it we both get what we want; you get money and the right to ignore me, while I get peace, a bigger room, and not having to put up with your shit. So," he stood up and walked over to the fat man before holding out his hand, "do we have an accord?"

His uncle was quick to shake on the deal, and Harry smiled dangerously before stalking from the room and walking up the stairs. With a quick swarm of spells the room filled with Dudley's broken toys and rubbish was completely clean, and another moment after that Harry had tentatively called out a name he hadn't spoken in years. "Dobby?"

With a small crack the house-elf in question appeared, and he looked around for a few seconds before seeing with Harry. It was almost comical. The small creature's eyes widened until they looked about ready to pop out of his sockets, and he actually started trembling with excitement. "The Great Harry Potter sir calls for Dobby by his name?" Harry swore he actually saw the carpet underneath him wetten as the little elf actually peed itself, and he wrinkled his nose but still smiled. The almost dementedly excited little creature had given his life for Harry in the previous timeline, and the youth had never forgotten the complete act of selflessness.

"Yes Dobby, I do. Now I know that you work for the Malfoys, but I was wondering if you would mind helping me out as well."

The poor elf actually fainted.

Harry chuckled as he cast an enervate, and the excited creature bolted to his feet before nodding furiously, resembling a bobble-head on steroids. "Yes Second Master Harry Potter sir Dobby's be very much wanting to help the Great Harry Potter sir with anything the Wonderful Harry Potter sir wants!"

Ah, how he'd missed this.

With a quick round of oaths that Harry knew to get around the house-elf bond, Harry had an eager little helper that was unable to share any of his secrets, even on order of his primary masters the Malfoys. Handing the small creature the bag of coin, which still had nearly nine thousand galleons in it, Dobby was sent to go and buy some furniture for his room while Harry cast expansion spells and carved stabilizing runes and magic-shielding wards. When Dobby returned the room was three times its original size, and Harry watched with a small smile on his face as a sinfully comfortable bed popped into existence against the far wall. As he played around with the colours of the room a desk, bookcases, drawers, lamps, and stationary popped into existence around him, and within twenty minutes of calling Dobby the room was complete.

"Thank you Dobby, you may take your leave."

"Of course Second Master Harry Potter sir! Dobby's be going now." Harry smiled as the hyperactive elf popped away and then turned back to his room with a wide smile.

Life was good.


	3. Chapter 3

Christopher Erebus was a very well connected man – and not the savory 'connected' the majority of influential people were. His contacts spanned the world, though were mainly centered in the Asian countries such as Japan, China, and India. Necromancers, Pitch Magic practitioners, smugglers, assassins, information brokers; everybody knew the name Christopher Erebus. His name was spoken in the shadows of society, and many law enforcement units were investigating him because of both the depth and range of his influence, and the fact that he had popped up out of nowhere three years ago.

Christopher Erebus sat back in his leather desk chair with a small hum of thought as he looked down at his finances. His stock portfolio was immense, almost unfathomably spread across numerous companies both magical and muggle. Of course the numbers at the bottom of each statement laid in front of him proved that his stocks were paying out in equally unfathomable amounts making him easily one of the richest men in the world – not that anybody knew it. His money was scattered out among numerous bank accounts under aliases. He looked out of the window in front of him as he sipped on his tea; the bleak, generic houses that conformed to a strict standard stretching out as far as the eye could see… it was the perfect place to hide.

He saw an owl coming towards his window and quickly rephrased that thought, _'The best place to hide from people that don't know my real name._' Harry Potter groaned as the bird alighted outside his window and stared at him, and waved his hand slightly; disengaging the security spells and the latch. The little critter hopped inside onto his desk, scattering his papers, and jerked its leg out to him with a look that clearly said, _'Yeah, I screwed your desk up… what you gonna do?_'. The small electric shock and glare was Harry's answer, and the bird quickly turned demure before waiting silently and very still.

He peered at the address and snorted.

_Harry Potter_

_The Third Largest Bedroom_

_Number 4 Privet Drive_

_Little Winging_

_Surrey_

_England_

"Oh must they be so dry," he mumbled as he broke the wax seal, and he yawned as he perused the letter inside. "Pleased to inform you… blah blah blah… September first…. Blah blah… boring." He screwed up the parchment and incinerated it, and then looked at the required equipment. He had everything on the list except the books, but he didn't need them because he had achieved an eidetic memory and could remember the entire Hogwarts curriculum almost word for word. The dragon-hide gloves were unnecessary because he had basilisk hide, and the telescope was also not needed because he had a spell that would produce a virtual representation of the night sky and allow him to zoom in until he could literally see the moons surrounding planets in other solar systems. He quickly wrote a reply back on a blank piece of paper, and smirked as he wondered just how the elderly Scotswoman would take it.

_Professor McGonagall,_

_I am writing to inform you that I am accepting my placement at your institution, and to also inform you that I will not require a guide to get to Diagon Alley nor King's Cross station on September first. I also wish to inform you that due to my familiar being a heavily magical creature your tracking charms and other such illegal spells that you normally throw willy-nilly at the students' methods of communication will not work. I suggest you don't try it, because Hermes will not take nicely to it. I don't accept any responsibility for injury due to failure to heed this warning._

_I'll be seeing you September first, and please do tell Gideon (the Sorting Hat), that dihybrid magical quadplex is entirely possible given temporal distortion fields and quark inversion is properly maintained between two distinct frequencies of flux._

_Kind regards,_

_Harry James Potter BSc,DPhil, PhD_

'_Let her think about that,_' he smirked. He'd gotten a Bachelor of Science from Oxford where he'd majored in Physics, a post-grad diploma in particle physics from Berkley, and had achieved his PhD from Oxford while studying condensed matter physics. It had all been a breeze really, after all he'd paid ten over-fifty-year-old physics PhDs in his last timeline to give him their memories and experiences of the topic at hand. A few hundred thousand pounds worth of donations to the respective universities and he was able to skip the years it would take to get the qualification and just take the final exams.

He slipped the return letter into a new envelope and sealed it with the House of Potter wax seal, and then gave it to the owl which promptly departed. Harry watched it wing away into the distance before it disappeared, and then turned back to the papers in front of him as he rubbed his eyes and continued making notations; sometimes life sucked.

After nearly three hours had work the numbers were blurring together, and he put his pen down to groan and stretch backwards. "Dobby." The elf immediately popped into the room grinning widely, and Harry shook his head with a chuckle as he held out the finished papers. "Please take these to Ragnok and tell him that I suggest he personally invests in the companies I have. They'll make him rich. After that I believe a nice dinner would be in order Dobby."

The elf bowed and smiled. "Of course Master Harry, I'll be back momentarily."

Harry smiled and nodded, and Dobby popped away. The small elf had changed for the better under his guidance. He'd gotten him lessons on proper English and how to serve from the Goblins, and after nearly three years he was extremely well-spoken and trained. Of course the Malfoys never got to see that side of Dobby, but Harry considered that a good thing. A week later Harry Potter stepped into Diagon Alley, his scar covered by his fringe once again, and he walked over to Madam Malkins almost immediately when he saw a certain blonde-haired boy walk in. He entered as well, and was immediately pulled aside by one of the assistants to take him to his order.

Harry was very well-known in Madam Malkins because of his expensive, high-quality tastes, and was more of a VIP than every other family or person that had ever entered. He casually paid over the ten thousand galleons he owed for the basilisk-hide underarmour, and quickly slipped into the changing room to put it on. He grinned when it fit like a second skin. The reason it had cost so much was because Madam Malkin had charmed it with heat-regulation, auto-cleaning, and auto-fitting features so that it grew with him. With the work she'd put into it the armour would last a lifetime. He popped back out and gave the thumbs up to the young woman that was serving him, and she giggled at the look on his face before waving for him to come out.

He rolled his eyes but pulled back the curtain, and smirked when a blush rocketed across the lady's cheeks. It was very clear that Harry James Potter was extremely well-built for a mere eleven year old; much unlike scrawny, pale kids like young Malfoy. The armour clung to his toned muscles like elastic, and Harry posed heroically eliciting a giggle from the assistant before she pushed him back into the changing rooms. "Get something else on before I get done in for pedophilia!"

"Rose," he shot back as he put his normal clothes over top of the armour in the changing room, "you know as well as I do that should you truly wish for a quick romp then not only would I not object, but I would also make sure you were safe from any repercussions."

He could feel her aura blasting its embarrassment outwards, but smiled when he felt the pleased emotions running through her. The decision was so sudden and un-meditated however, that he most certainly didn't expect the young red-head to burst into his changing room and kiss him madly. His mind almost shut down for a second, a feat that not many had managed, but he quickly threw all caution to the wind. He was being kissed by a stunningly beautiful twenty-year-old red-head, and the way he was having his clothes torn off and the lack of resistance his undressing of her was receiving, it wasn't going to end with just kisses. "This is not a quick romp," he heard her murmur against his lips before diving back into the kiss once more, and with a hurried wave he cast several high-powered silencing charms around where they were, and not a moment too soon because she screamed out her orgasm when he released his aura completely and engulfed her within it.

The sound and smell of her sex was exquisite as he plunged his fingers deep into her, and she gasped with awe when she saw his uncovered body. Harry too was looking her over with deep appreciation, and had to admit that she was far more beautiful than anybody he had ever been with before. Her skin was so pale it was almost translucent, but her fiery-red hair and puffy pink nipples and areola stood out against it perfectly. His eyes roamed lower to where his fingers were pushed deep into her, and he smiled lightly when he saw that the carpet did indeed match the drapes. She gasped when he clamped his mouth over one nipple while rolling the other between his free thumb and forefinger, and whimpered as she reached down to grab his cock.

Her hand was like silk, and she groaned when she felt his heat and arousal. Before she knew what was happening she was sitting down in the chair in the small cubicle with Harry's cock pressed up against her burning mound, and she looked deep into his emerald-green eyes before smiling warmly and nodding. Both groaned with complete rapture as Harry penetrated Rose, and Harry had to forcefully hold himself in check by reciting quidditch scores in his head as her sweltering heat sucked at his cock; drawing him deeper inside of her until he finally bottomed out; his balls slapping against her ass. The feeling of completion was almost overwhelming, and Harry tore the panties off her foot that was hanging over his shoulder before throwing it over the top of the cubicle.

His plan for the day completed he simply focused on the feelings rushing through him, and he stared deep into his lover's beautifully warm, chocolate eyes. "I think I'm falling in love," she mumbled before heaving in a deep gasp as he pushed back inside her with a firm stroke, and he stared down at her in confusion and shock. His bewilderment only intensified when she reached up and stroked his cheek with a deep smile on her thin, wonderfully red lips that were swollen from his kisses. "You come in here and don't care that I'm a muggleborn who only just passed her OWLs… and you make me happy. Every time you come in you make time to talk to me… I've never felt so special before. There's no doubt in my mind that I'm falling in love with you."

Harry had never before been confessed to in such a genuine manner, and the reason for his immense confusion was that he had never before felt true love. Still buried completely inside of her he gently removed her hand from his cheek and looked to his tattoo. She smiled and shook her head before putting her finger over his lips. "I know you're dark Harry. I can feel it in your aura; the ruthlessness and cold cruelty you are capable of. I know you're one of the most dangerous people on this planet, and that many would hate you for what you think and do… but I never will Harry."

"I… Rose…"

She hushed him with a soft smile and stroked his cheek again. "Shhhh, don't force yourself to say the words. I can tell that you've never felt anything like this before; that you don't know what you feel. I didn't tell you how I felt to make you feel guilty and reciprocate – I told you how I feel so that you can start admitting to yourself that you _can _be loved. I love you, Harry." He felt himself tear up, something that he hadn't done in nearly ten years, and she smiled brightly up at him. "I may not be _in_ love with you yet, but I know it won't take me long. Now make love to me Harry, make me yours."

He smiled and wiped at his eyes as he slowly started moving within her tight love tunnel, and both gasped as they felt the friction ignite new passion deep inside of them. Harry knew that what he was about to do may cost him Rose, but he couldn't lie to her; not after she had so honestly laid herself bare before him with her words. His tattoo completely deactivated, and his power swirled darkly around both of them completely free from all restraint. He expected the beautiful seamstress to start shaking and leap away from him in fear like a certain Death Eater wandmaker; he expected to see terror in her eyes as she beheld his dark power… but she simply smiled beautifully up at him, wrapped her legs around his back, and jerked him forwards; impaling herself completely on the young wizard's cock. So surprised Harry fell forwards, and immediately felt his lips captured between Rose's as she kissed him with tender passion. It came out of nowhere, and he only just managed to cast the contraceptive charm on the woman beneath him when she bucked hard and begun spasming.

Her hot, slick walls squeezed his entire length; milking his cock; begging for his seed, and he roared with complete abandon into her mouth as she screamed into his; their tongues sliding over each other and mingling their tastes. He erupted deep inside of his lover as he felt her juices flood around his cock, and Rose arched her back; her breasts pushed depravedly skywards as she came around him and with him. Both could feel the endless streams of cum Harry was spurting deep within her womb, and neither was under any delusions that had a charm not been cast she would have been impregnated. The knowledge that they had just shared something so intimate, so completely profound, had Harry's aura swathing them both as they slid to the floor and curled up against one another; basking in the afterglow.

"See," Harry heard his adult lover mumble softly to him, "your aura tells me all I need to know." A smile slowly spread itself over his face as he realized that instead of seething as it normally did when he exposed it, it was covering them both like a blanket; wrapping them in its warmth and power as it helped pull them as close to each other as physically possible.

"Thank you, Rose."

She smiled and nodded, "It was my pleasure."

They lay there, comforted by Harry's rarely calm aura, for nearly an hour before Madam Malkin called into whom she assumed was just Harry. "Mister Potter, is everything alright in there? It's been quite some time since you entered."

Harry removed the silencing charms, but kept the aura-suppressing wards in place so that the woman outside was kept unawares of just how dark his was. "Just getting changed now Evelyn."

"Very well dear. Have you seen Rose?"

Harry looked across at the very naked witch at his side and grinned, and she rolled her eyes with a smile back. "Actually Evelyn, she told me some very urgent business came up with her boyfriend."

The young woman beside him jolted with shock at his comment and stared hopefully up at him, and he didn't break eye contact once as he continued the conversation with the Master Seamstress outside. "Oh… well that was very unprofessional of her to leave without notifying me."

"Madam Malkin, she hasn't left, in fact she's in here with me."

Rose gawped at Harry, and he sent her a mischievous grin when they both heard a shocked cough from outside. "I-I'm sorry Mister Potter… I thought I just heard you say that Rose is in there with _you_."

"Yes Evelyn, she is. I hope you don't mind that I wished to spend some quality time with my girlfriend before leaving for Hogwarts, do you?"

Harry laughed as a happy eep erupted from Rose's lips before she glomped him; his head resting deep within her modest cleavage, and he smiled up at her. "Really?"

Harry heard a dull thud from outside the changing room, but paid it no heed as he stroked her cheek gently. "If you would allow it, Rose, I would very much like to be your boyfriend, and you my girlfriend. I might not know what love is… but something tells me that I can learn from you."

She beamed down at him and pulled him up into a toe-curling kiss that would forever be ranked in Harry's Top Ten. "Yes," she whispered reverently as she rested her forehead against his, "I would _love_ to be your girlfriend."

They shared a few more kisses as they dressed once more, though Rose looked around, confused, as she tried to find her knickers. Harry laughed, and she turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "Ah, yes. Your knickers, my dear Rose, were used to free a house-elf." Her eyebrow rose further and he took her hand before jerking her toward the curtain. "Come, I'll show you." When he pulled back the drapes however, he had to jerk forwards in a hurry to make sure he didn't step on a rather unconscious Madam Malkin.

"Evervate," Rose mumbled with a small chuckle as she waved her wand, and the elderly woman jerked before rolling over onto her back and staring up at them with wide eyes.

"You-"

"Yes," Harry interrupted with a smile as he pulled Rose to his side, "we're dating."

Madam Malkin stared at the scene before her and could barely believe her eyes. Rose stood around a foot taller than Harry, and yet both looked completely comfortable together. If she wasn't seeing it with her own eyes she simply wouldn't believe it. If it were any other boy than Harry Potter she also wouldn't believe it, but she did. "Well… I suppose you pay me enough commission for me to justify allowing Rose… one-on-one consultations whenever you come in."

Harry stifled a grin. "Slytherin, Evelyn?"

The elderly witch grinned back, "How ever did you guess?"

Shaking his head he turned his head upwards to look at his girlfriend. "Now this is what I meant by freeing an elf. Dobby!"

Immediately the elf in question popped into the room with a wide grin on her face, and Madam Malkin blanched when she saw a pair of lacy black knickers folded neatly in his hand. Rose, conversely, was blushing up a veritable storm. Harry stifled a chuckle as he took the offered undergarments off the small creature. "Dobby, would you please tell my lovely girlfriend and Evelyn just what the plan was?"

"Of course Master Harry sir." Dobby turned his attention to the two women and smiled. "Master Harry promised me that before he went to Hogwarts he would free me from the Malfoys. He told me to come in here and hide, and when Mister Malfoy threw any clothing away to catch it to free myself. I was waiting as Master Harry said, and then these knickers came flying from Master Harry's changing room," that elicited dual blushes from the lovers and a wide-eyed stared from Madam Malkin, "and landed right on Mister Malfoy's head!" Rose choked on her spit, and Harry burst into laughter at the mental imagery. Dobby, however, simply couldn't see the humour in the situation and continued on as if nothing was the matter. "Mister Malfoy looked very green and threw them away, and I caught them! So I'm now Master Harry's elf only!"

"Miss Ambrose, I cannot condone sex with a minor! He's only eleven!"

"Evelyn," Harry interrupted as Rose tensed and paled, "I am emancipated, technically. One word from me and the goblins will file my new status with the Ministry, however I am keeping myself very much 'under wraps', as the muggles would say. Rose is doing nothing illegal."

"Mister Potter, you're too young! It's wrong; you shouldn't be losing your innocence at your age!"

Harry raised a hand. "Evelyn, I haven't been innocent since I killed several muggers in Knockturn with a butcher's knife." He looked worriedly at Rose, but breathed an audible sigh of relief when he only found her smiling warmly at him as she intertwined their fingers.

"Y-Y… you _killed_ people?"

"Yes, Evelyn," he replied calmly, "I have. The way I see it, if I'm old enough to kill, I'm old enough to be intimate with somebody I care dearly for."

The grey-haired designer looked at him searchingly for nearly a minute before sighing, and Harry gave a small smile when her shoulders sagged in defeat. "I suppose I cannot argue with that… but both of you, I expect _both_ of you to take care of each other. I don't want to hear about any nasty spats because you two didn't communicate, and I want you to both be _very_ responsible about your actions – do I make myself clear?"

Harry smiled and nodded, and Rose beamed at the mother figure in her life ever since her parents had been killed in a car crash five years previous. The redhead squealed happily when Evelyn told her that she could have the next hour off to say goodbye to Harry at Platform 9¾, and with a small squeak side-along apparated him. When they arrived at their destination, however, it wasn't King's Cross as Harry had been expecting. He found himself standing in a small apartment, quite cramped but cozy, and Rose fiddled with the black fabric in her hands before holding it out to him with a blush. He stared at the knickers she was offering him with surprise, and she jerked her hand in a silent, '_go on, take them_' motion. He gently removed the underwear from her fingers and she blushed harder. "You're going to be gone for nearly four months… I want you to have something to remind you of me."

He smiled at the gesture, but shook his head before handing them back. She looked hurt, and he hurriedly explained. "I don't need something sexual to keep me going, Rose. I can easily relive the memories we just made if I need to release some steam," she blushed but looked pleased, and he smiled, blushing lightly himself before continuing. "I was wondering if you would mind trading pillows?"

Her face softened and she looked almost tearful as she nodded. "I think that is a wonderful idea."

Harry squeezed her hand. "Dobby?"

The smart house-elf popped into existence a second later smiling, and the twinkle in his eyes showed that he was immensely happy that his master had found a light to help shine in his darkness. "Yes Master Harry sir?"

"Would you please pack all the things I need for school into my trunk and bring it here? Also, would you please bring my pillow from my bed here as well?"

Dobby bowed and popped away, and Rose knelt down so that she could kiss her young lover without it being awkward. When they eventually broke away Rose looked at him and stroked his cheek. "I know there's something different about you Harry – and I don't mean the darkness." He stiffened, but she continued stroking his skin with her soft fingers until he relaxed once more. Dobby popped back in with everything Harry had requested but stayed silent when he saw the serious moment in front of him. "You act far, far older than you are… and that's part of the reason I'm falling in love with you Harry. I don't think I _could_ fall in love with an eleven year old boy, and you're not." She pressed a finger over his lips and smiled softly, a look of understanding in her eyes. "I know you have secrets. I also know that despite the fact we've known each other as acquaintances and friends for a few years it doesn't mean you trust me. I would never willingly betray you Harry… but I want to know more about you; the man I'm falling for. Is there any way?"

Harry looked deep into her eyes and slid undetected into her mind. He would never violate her by watching her memories of reading her thoughts, but the immense hate, betrayals, and manipulations he had experienced in his life at the very least demanded he checked that her emotions were genuine. He physically stumbled back when he felt the depth of her feelings, and for the first time in nearly ten years he cried. There were no sobs, but tears streaked down his cheeks, and Rose looked distraught before hugging him. "I'm so sorry Harry, I shouldn't have pushed, forget what I said. It's okay Harry, I won't ask any more, I'm sorr-"

"No," he interrupted her wetly, "you have nothing to apologize for." He hugged her tighter; his head buried into her shoulder. "Thank you," he whispered quietly, and he could feel her confusion. "For loving me," he explained, and she hugged him harder before shaking her head above him.

"There is no need to thank me Harry; you are a wonderful man."

The two new lovers held each other for several minutes before retreating, and Harry wiped at his eyes with a warm smile before turning to Dobby. He spoke quietly, as if any louder would break the new-found warmth and light within him. "Please go and fetch my Occlumency books – the illegal ones."

Dobby nodded before doing as he was asked, and seconds later he returned with three thin, leather-bound books in his hands. Harry took them from his fingers before holding them out to Rose with a small smile. "I- it's going to be hard for me to learn to trust again… but this will let me share some more secrets with you. It will allow you to protect your mind from people using legilimency." She frowned in confusion as she took the books from him and he explained further. "It's an art used to read minds."

Her head jerked up to look at him, her face horrified. "People can do that?"

Harry nodded seriously, and his expression turned dark. "Oh yes, they certainly can. Ever wonder how Snape knew just how to insult you?"

Her face turned furious, and Harry watched as her eyes actually darkened slightly. He was surprised by the power she held. "That son of a bitch," she growled, and Harry chuckled humourlessly.

"Oh if you think that's bad… Dumbledore does it too." She gaped, and Harry nodded. "Yes," he sneered, "the oh-so-wonderful and trustworthy leader of the light pries into your very mind." He lowered his eyes for a moment, looking guilty. "Though I must confess that I use it too… in fact just minutes ago I used it on you without your permission."

She stared at him for several moments before taking in a deep breath. "What did you see?"

He shook his head firmly. "I saw nothing. I heard nothing. I didn't go into your mind; I simply skimmed the surface of your consciousness to see if your feelings were genuine." He lowered his head again. "It's why I cried. I-I've never felt love before… and knowing you feel that for me is just…" he couldn't find the words to describe how he felt about what he had discovered, and her entire countenance softened as she took his small hands in hers.

"And that is what makes you such a wonderful man Harry. I trust you, even if you don't trust me yet, and I don't blame you. I'll learn this," she motioned to the books, "so that you can tell me things without the risk of your secrets being plucked from my head." She smiled and kissed him once more, lingering against his lips for several moments in a soft caress. When Harry opened his eyes he found himself looking right into the coffee-brown orbs of his girlfriend; mere centimeters away, and they were filled with warmth.

It didn't need to be spoken, and he smiled brilliantly before nodding against her forehead. "Okay."

She pulled away and Harry looked over at Dobby who had a small smile on his face as he held out Harry's favorite pillow. "I charmed it so that it would always smell the same, Master Harry."

Harry's smile widened and he took the offered headrest from his little helper. He handed it to Rose, and she smiled as she took it and pressed her face against it; a small blush and a brilliant grin on her face as she looked at him. "It smells just like you. Wait here." She rushed out of the room, and several seconds later came in minus his pillow, but holding her light lavender one in her hands. It was flat with use, very much unlike the expensive pillows Harry had, but the thought never crossed his mind.

This pillow was hers; his very first girlfriend's pillow, and she was giving it to _him_. He mirrored her earlier actions and smiled softly as he closed his eyes; drinking in Rose's scent. There was a hint of sweat, but it was in no way unpleasant, and he could smell her favorite shampoo that had hints of grapefruit, gardenia, amber, and vanilla in it. The smell entering his nostrils was quintessentially Rose, and he beamed at her as he opened his eyes and handed the pillow to Dobby, where the small elf placed it carefully into Harry's trunk. "Yours smells just like you too." She blushed at the boyish grin he was sending her and leaned down to hug him.

"I love you Harry."

He smiled into her hair and nodded. "I know, and I care for you very much."

They stayed like that for several moments before separating, and Rose held out her hand. Harry smiled and grabbed his trunk before taking it, and turned to Dobby with a smile. "I'll call you if I need anything at Hogwarts, okay?"

The elf nodded, his small dress-shirt collar flapping nearly as much as his ears. "Of course Master Potter."

With another unpleasant sucking feeling Harry found himself on the platform to 9¾ and he smiled softly at the nostalgia. "You've been here before," he heard his girlfriend mutter, and he looked up before tapping the side of his nose with a sly grin.

She chuckled and squeezed his shoulder. "I know, I know. I'll learn it by the time you get back for Christmas."

They were in an isolated corner a wee bit out from the main crowds, and Harry looked up at his red-haired lover with a small frown. "Why did you leave Hogwarts?"

Her face turned slightly sad. "My parents died and the banks took all of the inheritance to pay for the debt they'd racked up paying for my education. I didn't have enough money to get some place to stay let alone continue on at Hogwarts. It's nearly nine thousand galleons a year."

Harry boggled at the figure, and after a quick mental calculation came up at twenty seven thousand pounds around abouts. He pushed her further back into the shadows and she looked curiously down at him, shocked when she saw the serious look in her boyfriend's eyes. "Do you have many days off work Rose?"

She nodded, confused at why he was asking, but answered all the same. "I have weekends off, as well from lunchtime Friday onwards."

"Do you want to learn?"

She shook her head, not understanding. "What are you talking about?"

"Rose," he said firmly as he took her hands in his, "I care a lot for you. Just answer my questions. If you could learn about any areas of magic, what would you learn?"

She shook her head in confusion but stopped after a moment and thought. "Well I always did like charms, and I remember hearing Flitwick talk about enchanting once. It sounded interesting. I was always good at Potions, not that _Snape_ would ever admit that… but when I did it independently I enjoyed it; the precision and the amazing things you could create from ingredients that by themselves did nothing."

Harry smiled, "Good. I'll hire a goblin tutor for charms, and a potions Mistress I know to get you started on a Mastery." Ignoring the gobsmacked look on Rose's face, but secretly enjoying it, he grinned and unlocked his trunk – still talking as he rummaged around. "Of course if you're with me… well you'll need to learn some more Defence, maybe some Dark Arts, and now that I think about it a Master Occlumens once a week to check your progress on your mental shields." He finally found what he was looking for and pulled out a key with a grin before holding it out to her.

She stuttered, speechless, and didn't move to take it. "H-Harry that'd cost a fortune!"

He laughed softly and looked around to make sure they weren't gaining attention before answering; his eyes soft as he looked up at her. "Rose, I make around fifty thousand galleons a week just from dividends." Her jaw slackened, and he held up his hand with a warm, almost delighted smile. "And I also know that you're not falling for me because of that. As I said Rose, I care for you. Seeing you happy makes _me_ happy, and I could tell the way you talked about potions that it is a passion for you." He pressed the key into her palm and then curled her fingers over it. "Potter's Pad is located at Number 18 South End London West." He saw understanding jerk into her eyes, which was quickly followed by a hurried shaking of her head, and he stretched up and put his finger to her lips to shush her as he shook his own with a small smile. "I purchased it about a year ago as a safe house, Rose. It's sitting there doing nothing. The ground floor houses the master bedroom, where you _will_ be staying, the second floor has four smaller bedrooms, kitchen and meditation room are on the third floor, and the fourth floor… well I call that the 'water floor'. The place has some crazy expansion charms on it, so I've got an Olympic-sized pool, a sauna, a spa, and several pressure showers in there as well. There's a gym out in the backyard shed if you wish to work out."

Rose was gaping, and Harry smiled up at her. "T-that… how- I mean… you're eleven! How can you have all that? A-and just giving me the key to a house that must have cost-"

"Twelve million pounds," he finished with a small smirk, and she stared at him; her eyes boggling. He held both her hands in his own and cocked his head to the side with a small shrug. "And why wouldn't I trust you? You're my girlfriend, and I want you to be happy. Your apartment, from what I felt, is reasonably close to Knockturn – perhaps even slightly into it." Her averted eyes confirmed his suspicions and he squeezed her hands with a shake of his head. "This is not charity, Rose. You also have nothing to be ashamed of, in fact I respect you a great deal for surviving without parents in a world completely biased towards you. If not for yourself, then do this for me. I want you to be safe, and you'll need the gym and such for your training as well."

She stared at him for several seconds before letting out a defeated sigh and mock-glowered at him. "Why are you so convincing?"

"Because you love me," he shot back with a mischevious smirk, and she rolled her eyes before leaning down and hugging him. He hugged back, and heard her whisper by his ear. "Thank you Harry… you're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

He pulled back and bussed her forehead quickly before staring into her deep brown eyes and smiling. "No, Rose, thank you." Behind them both the Hogwarts Express let out a warning shriek, and Harry quickly leaned down and kissed her hard on the lips before grabbing his trunk and parting from her. "I'll see you at Christmas Rose." She nodded tearily and blew him a kiss as he strode quickly towards the red steam engine, and he pretended to catch it before putting it against his lips and smiling. The conductor helped him get his trunk up onto the train, and Harry quickly found an empty carriage so that he could look out the window.

Both saw each other almost simultaneously as the huge machine slowly started moving, and both smiled warmly at each other. Before either knew it their lover was gone, and Harry stared out at the lush green landscape that met his eyes instead of his beautiful girlfriend. "'Till Christmas Rose," he muttered under his breath, and then lifted his trunk easily up into the rack above. He withdrew a shrunken book from his inside pocket as he sat down and stretched along the seat; his back up against the window and his legs horizontal, and merely tapped the cover of the tome to bring it back to full size. It was a blood-magic text that he'd found in the Potter Vault, and he was amazed at the magic contained within the pages. He'd heard and even practiced blood magic during his time travelling in the last timeline, but never before in such depth.

Harry was a shadow mage, and that had taken an understanding beyond anybody else in the world on the subject, but the book he held in his hands was so complete and comprehensive that it alone provided the required information to become a blood mage as well. He was half-way through the book so far, and indeed only a fraction of the way through the collection he had received through his illegal plundering of his vaults, but that was due to the fact that for the past three years he had been focussing primarily on getting his contacts back that he had in his old timeline, as well as establishing himself an alias.

But alas, a mere five minutes into his reading he was interrupted. Oh he had been expecting it, but it didn't mean he had to be happy about it. A head of red hair poked into his compartment and stared at him scouring. "Mind if I come in here? All the other compartments are full." Harry was just about to answer and tell the idiotic Weasel that no, they were not all full, and that both compartments either side of his were free, but didn't have time before Ron had bowled on in and was throwing his trunk up into the rack above their heads. Huffing and puffing like he'd just run a 100m sprint the redhead plonked himself down opposite Harry and grinned at him as he held out his hand. "Ronald Weasley."

Harry looked at the offered hand and wondered just how on Earth he had managed to shake it in the previous timeline, and indeed why. He could see a small blob of green in-between Ron's fore and middle fingers, and wrinkled his nose. He was under no illusions that it was a booger. Harry didn't move to shake it, and Ron's ears suddenly turned red with anger. His hand dropped back to his lap and he glowered at Harry, who just rolled his eyes and went back to his book. "Well you're just a ruddy fowl git, aren't you? I bet you're a mudblood, aren't you?" he sneered, and Harry gave a small chuckle filled with darkness.

Ron froze as his senses started screaming danger, and actually started trembling with fear when Harry's killing-curse-green eyes met his dim brown. "You, Weasley, are just like a certain boy named Draco Malfoy. I do not like the Malfoys, and I also do not like the Weasleys. You will remove yourself from this compartment or I will forcefully do so myself."

Ron gawped, but then jerked slightly and grinned dopily. "Come on mate-"

"_Get out_," Harry hissed, releasing a portion of his aura, and Ron peed himself. Literally. With a speed that even impressed the raven-haired teen the redhead tore his trunk from the rack and all but sprinted out the door, and Harry made a violent motion of his hand to slam the door shut. "Fucking Weasleys," he grumbled darkly, and continued on with his reading. How could the stupid idiot be so good at chess and yet lack all hints of common sense? You couldn't call somebody a mudblood and then call then 'mate' within a month let alone seconds, and yet Ronald Weasley had once again transcended all previously set standards of idiocy.

As he continued reading he wondered about how he had been acting for the past few hours. He was a dark person; one that guarded everything about himself quite violently, and he knew he was considered a cold-hearted bastard. He could kill without flinching, torture people to death and find himself mildly amused, and had in the past watched executions as entertainment. All of this was in direct contrast to how he had been both acting and feeling when around Rose. Within mere hours she had turned everything he thought himself as on its head. Harry James Potter-Black was not lovey-dovey; Harry James Potter-Black was not sentimental; and Harry James Potter-Black was in no way, shape, or form a man who would give a key to one of his safehouses to somebody who he hadn't used legilimency on without restraint.

Which begged the question, just who in the hell was he?

He'd been thinking about the dilemma for nearly an hour when the second interruption of the day came, however it was far, far more welcome. He stared at his best friend with a small smile as his eyes roamed over her young form. Her hair had yet to turn into curls and was bushy just as he recalled it was in the last timeline, but she did have the permanent wrinkle in-between her eyebrows from frowning with concentration so much in her life. Her entire posture would scare most people off; it virtually screamed '_I am knowledgeable!' _, which really was quite intimidating to first year students. Her coffee-coloured eyes roamed the compartment before landing on Harry, and she stepped inside. "Hello, I'm sorry to bother you, but have you seen a toad by any chance?"

Harry had to stifle a chuckle at her tone; even asking for help she managed to sound bossy. It was one of her most endearing traits, and in the last timeline Harry was one of the only people that could overlook it completely, much to her exasperation – and after she'd become a power-hungry little bitch of a woman much to her absolute fury. He intended to make sure she never headed down that path this time around. "Ah, no… what's the toad's name?"

She frowned in confusion; the small wrinkle suddenly becoming rather pronounced. "Trevor… why?"

Holding up his hand he winked. "Accio Trevor."

She stared at him for a moment before huffing and shaking her head, opening her mouth to reprimand him for attempting a fourth year spell, and without a wand as well! Her mouth quickly snapped shut however, when a green blur zipped past her face with a low, drawn out, "Riiiiiibiiiiiit!", and Harry caught the speeding creature in his hand before holding Trevor out to her. "Meet Trevor."

Her mouth was hanging open in shock, and she silently took the small toad from Harry's fingertips. "B-b-h-wha-that's impossible!"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Miss, did I, or did I not just wandlessly summon Trevor?" She nodded mutely, and he shook his head, "Then it would appear that it is _not_ impossible, as it just happened."

He could almost see the gears turning in her head, and stifled his smirk when he saw panic encroaching on her expression. She hated being wrong, probably more so than getting detentions or, as she'd once proven when she'd said "We could die, or even worse, be expelled!" dying. "B-but only Dumbledore can do wandless magic!"

"Once again Miss, clearly not."

She looked quite upset, and hurriedly fled his compartment; the door slamming violently shut behind her. Harry laughed, it was the same old Hermione. Eventually he finished the chapter he was working on and conjured a ceramic ritual knife. He made sure it was perfect before lowering the blade to his arm, and of course it was at the very moment he opened up a deep gash (down the street and not across) that Hermione decided to make her reappearance. Harry looked up from his heavily bleeding arm when he heard the door slide open, and saw Hermione paling until she almost looked like a ghost. Harry contemplated just what to do in this situation. Obliviation was by far the easiest option, but then again Harry did want Hermione on his side. He'd never obliviated her in the previous timeline, and he didn't really intend to start in this one either. "_O__inferno__de fogo__para min!_" he growled out, forcing his magic into his blood, and immediately his entire body was swathed with black fire. Hermione made to scream at the sight, but Harry waved his hand airily to summon her into the room and erect several privacy wards.

He ignored her for the moment and looked down at the hell fire he had conjured. It felt like an extension of his body, and he tested it out with a few test flares that he made burst from parts of his body. Happy with his accomplishment he silently released the magical charge from his blood, and watched as the huge slice on his arm closed up until the skin remained completely unblemished. "Good," he muttered to himself as he rolled down his sleeve, and Hermione was staring at him like he was mad.

"What the hell was that?"

It took a lot to make Hermione use language such as that, and Harry didn't bother hiding his grin this time around. "That," he explained, "was advanced blood magic."

She gasped. "But that's illegal!"

He raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "And? It's only illegal becuase the Government doesn't want people to have too much power."

"Well then people shouldn't!"

"Why?"

She crossed her arms and frowned at him. "They know what they're doing."

Harry sat forwards and rested his chin on his steepled fingers. "Really? Because my godfather is in Azkaban Prison for a crime he didn't commit. He never got a trial, and do you want to know why? Because Fudge, the current Minister of Magic, wanted to be seen as a hero after the defeat of Voldemort. Does it sound like they know what they're doing?"

He could see the slackness in her jaw, but grinned to himself when her muscles tensed and she sat back looking almost murderous. "If they did that then it must have been for a reason."

"Yeah," Harry shot back with a wry grin, "to make themselves look good."

The tips of her ears turned red, and she shook her head vehemently. "They wouldn't do something like that! They're the leaders of our society!"

Harry laughed humourlessly and stood up to pull his trunk down onto the seat beside him. When he opened it Hermione gasped at seeing the shrunken compartments inside, but stared at the papers he held out to her after a few seconds rummaging. He jerked them at her, "Take a look." The brunette hesitantly took them from his fingers, looking at them as if they would suddenly up and bite her, and slowly started sifting through the contents. Harry, while she was busy reading, translocated his very, very expensive school robes and clothes onto his body, and then sat down after placing his blood magic book safely inide the secure library compartment. Hermione eventually shook her head as she looked up at him. "I don't understand."

"Those," he pointed to the sheafs of paper, "are Minister Cornelius Fudge's bank records. Please note the deposits made into his accounts, and then look at the notes I've made beside them." She did so again, putting aside her question about how he had access to classified bank records at all, and her frown deepened. "But these payments all coincide with certain laws being passed or not passed..." Harry waited, but after several more minutes she looked up looking more confused than ever. Her blind devotion and respect of authority was clouding her judgement.

"All of the laws passed give more rights and privaleges to purebloods, and all of the laws dumped give more rights and such to muggle-born magicals, and creatures such as werewolves, vampires, goblins, centaurs, that kind of thing. Oh," he interjected and pointed to a particular entry, "and that one there was a law stating that muggle-borns are to pay two hundred percent more in school fees. The reason wasn't given... but then again they know what they're doing, right?" The sarcasm in his voice was acidic, and Hermione winced at the tone. "Also," she cringed, knowing that the killer blow was coming, "the man that made all those highly coincidental deposits... well he's a Death Eater that bribed his way out of prison. But then again, the Minister must know what he's doing, else why would he let a convicted Death Eater dictate how Wizarding Britain is run?"

"N-no," she protested weakly, and she winced at just how unsure she sounded, "I read that Mister Malfoy was under the _imperius _curse when he was given the Dark Mark!" Her voice strengthened near the end as she regained confidence in her authority-can-do-no-bad opinion, and Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Is that right?" She nodded firmly and a dark grin spread over Harry's face. She jerked back in her seat, and he leaned closer as he pulled out his wand. "Let's conduct an experiment, shall we? _Mortem__comedentis__accipere__nostrum__vinculum__et__me__tua__incorruptione__fidelitatem__!_"(1)

Hermione paled when she felt magic tearing into her, trying to connect itself to her soul, and she screamed when she saw a ghost of the Dark Mark appear on her forearm; flickering unsteadily. She raised her eyes fearfully to Harry, and saw him frown mockingly. "Oh, you don't want to take it willingly? Then let us test the theory of _imperio!_"

Immediately Hermione Granger felt a wave of complete serenity spread over her body, and a voice in the back of her mind was telling her that it was okay, and that the Dark Mark was a good thing. Under the curse she felt as if everything was right in the world, and she accepted the Dark Mark completely; her entire consciousness and subconscious relenting to the bond. And nothing more happened – the Dark Mark was still just a specter on her skin. Harry released her from the Unforgivable, and she immediately screamed again as she tore at her skin – but she slumped and begun crying when she saw that there was no Dark Mark on her skin. "It would seem," Harry said when she was quiet enough to listen, "that it is impossible to force the Dark Mark on somebody. You should also be aware, Miss Granger, that Lucius Malfoy raped and murdered four innocent teenage girls during his induction. But Minister Fudge must be right, no? By your own admission he 'must know what he's doing'."

She looked tearfully up at him and wiped furiously at her eyes. "You used an Unforgivable," she accused, and Harry leaned forwards with a raised eyebrow.

"Ummm… so?"

"So you could go to Azkaban for that!"

Harry chuckled and sat back in his chair. "Oh they could try – besides, that was an entirely educational exercise, Miss Granger."

She finally got it, and narrowed her eyes. "I never told you my name."

"No," he agreed easily, "you didn't. I used magic to read your mind – but really, who names their teddy 'pookie'?" She paled, but Harry continued on and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, but because you read that it was foolproof you have to trust me Hermione."

She stuttered for a moment before almost spitting out, "Why?"

"Because 'purple goldfish float effortlessly in the pink sea', right?" She paled until she looked almost transparent, and Harry pretended not to notice that she was almost hyperventilating as all preconceptions of authority and life came crashing down around her. "That's your 'safe phrase' right? If anybody says that to you then you should do what they say, right? That's what your parents told you, so now you have to do everything I say."

He could see the total conflict in her eyes. Her _parents_, perhaps the people that held the most authority in her life had told her to do something, and now she was feeling compelled to disobey that. Harry released her from her inner turmoil after a moment, and shook his head with a small chuckle. Her head snapped up to look at him and he took the financial papers from her lap before returning them to his trunk. "Everything I just did, Hermione, was done to achieve one simple purpose."

He had her full attention. "What?"

"To prove to you that authority is not infallible, and you cannot trust it implicitly. Tell me, Hermione, about Albus Dumbledore."

"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, born July 22nd 1881. He is most well-known for killing the Dark Lord Grindelwald-"

"And let me stop you right there," Harry interrupted with a small smile, "because Grindelwald is not dead."

Hermione shook her head firmly, "Yes he is, it says so in-"

"Really, how fascinating. I visited Gellert just last week." Hermione froze, and stared at Harry with wide eyes. "He is imprisoned in Nurmengard; all alone, and kept alive by his own prison's survival systems. He's old, frail, _dark_, but brilliant. He told me all about him and Dumbledore, Hermione, and the 'great leader of the light' is not quite as light as he, or all the books you've read, would like you to believe. He also swore a wizard's oath," he added, seeing her about to ask how he knew Grindelwald was telling the truth, "that what he said was true." Hermione's face dropped. "And the reason I did that, Hermione, was to prove that everything you read is not necessarily true either."

"Who _are_ you?"

He laughed and held out his hand with a small bow of his head. "Harry James Potter, at your service Miss Granger."

The next ten minutes was spent explaining that Harry _hadn't_ been off fighting dragons and saving damsels in distress for the past few years as many books would have people believe, though he had to grudgingly admit that they were right in saying he'd faced Vampires, Werewolves, Demons, and Inferi … even if they had gotten the context wrong. The latter he'd faced just a week ago, as after Grindelwald had told Harry his life story he'd asked the young man for a favour; to retrieve his horcrux and destroy it so that he could finally die. Harry had done as the man had asked, though instead of simply destroying it he had absorbed its very essence; gaining every scrap of all one hundred years of the dark wizard's life.

But nobody else needed to know that.

Eventually Harry had to clap a hand over Hermione's mouth to stop her endless stream of questions and she blushed bright red. Harry, conversely, smiled charmingly at her. "'Mione, calm down. Now we're going to be getting to Hogwarts in around half an hour, so before you go and get changed I have two questions for you." She nodded and he removed his hand. "Firstly, what house do you want to get into?"

"Gryffindor," she immediately replied, and Harry raised an eyebrow. "Dumbledore went there," she said, as if that explained everything, and Harry frowned.

"I fail to see what that has to do with you."

"He's a great wizard…" she trailed off slowly as she thought back to all the things Harry had told her about the 'great wizard' in question, and Harry sent her a knowing smile.

"Exactly. Besides, Hermione, you don't have the traits. Gryffindors are 'brave', which unfortunately equates to, in most cases, rushing into situations unprepared and without planning or forethought. They're also very good a sports, and are generally louder than all the other houses. Now let me ask you again, 'Mione, just what house you want to be in."

She lowered her head after a moment, nibbling cutely on her bottom lip, and eventually sighed. "Ravenclaw."

Harry's smile brightened. "See? Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" She shook her head, looking dejected at being proven wrong again, and Harry leaned over and patted her knee. "Now for my last question, 'Mione: how would you like to be friends?"

Death eater accept our bond and give me your undying fealty


	4. Chapter 4

Harry watched as Hermione nervously ascended the steps to the stool on which the Sorting Hat resided, and stared as McGonagall placed the tattered old artifact on her head. He chuckled when he saw the surprise on her face, no doubt from the hat telling her that it was glad she'd had some common sense knocked into her before she arrived, and then, with a brilliant yell, the hat declared, "RAVENCLAW!"

A smattering of applause met the decision, and Harry smiled and winked at the young girl when she looked his way. She blushed but smiled back, and hurried to her house table where she sat down and tried to be as inconspicuous as possible. Every other person was sorted to where they had been in the previous timeline, but Harry had a rather large surprise lined up for every single person in the hall. "Potter, Harry!"

Whispers immediately broke out in the huge hall, and Harry saw Dumbledore suddenly pay more attention. To many the change in attention was unnoticeable, however Harry had trained for months to get body language down, and Dumbledore was _interested_. He saw the man's eyebrows rise when he saw the tailored clothes Harry wore, as well as his strong, steady frame and gait, and then frown. '_Not going to be your martyr, Dumbles,_' Harry thought triumphantly to himself as he sat down on the stool, and a moment later black engulfed his vision. '_Good evening Gideon._'

The hat chuckled, '_Ah Mister Potter, a pleasure to sort you once again. McGonagall did pass on her message, and thus I must conclude that everything you had in your past timeline carried over to here?_'

'_Right in one, old friend,'_ Harry smiled back, _'though you'll forgive me if I do not drop my mental shields and show you how I did it. Even you are vulnerable, and I would rather nobody else followed in my footsteps.'_

'_Of course Mister Potter, I completely understand. I can only assume we were good friends in the last timeline?_'

'_We were,'_ Harry affirmed with a smile, '_you and I both travelled together for three years after I'd vanquished Voldemort. I eventually left you in a Japanese Magical shrine where the head priest promised to give you to all the students travelling on their pilgrimages; so that you could see the world.'_

Harry actually heard the hat sniff, and if the murmur of shock in was any indication so too did everybody else in the hall. '_Mister Potter-'_

'_Harry,'_ the young wizard corrected with a warm smile, _'please. I intend to do the same for you in this timeline; it is completely unfair for a sentient being such as yourself to be holed up in a castle only to be used once every year.'_

Another sniffle came from the normally-sarcastic hat, and Harry felt it nod on his head. '_You have no idea just how much I look forward to that moment Harry. Hogwarts herself will look out for you during your time here, and I wouldn't worry about the portraits and Dumbledore's spying through them; Lady Hogwarts can feel your loyalty and true nature even through the darkness of your aura and magic._' Harry nodded in appreciation and smiled. _'Well then, Harry, what house do you want to go to? Because I can't read your mind I'm relying on you for the right decision._'

'_Well Gideon, I believe a complete upset is in order. Things are going to change violently in the magical world, and there's only one place that would suit such an ambition, don't you think?'_

He could pretty much hear the hat smile. '_Of course, Harry, in that case it must be' _"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Harry's mouth gaped for several seconds, as did every single other mouth in the hall, at least until Gideon chortled merrily and said, "Just kidding! SLYTHERIN!"

Harry released the breath he'd been holding and pulled the hat off his head by himself, seeing as McGonagall was too shocked to do it herself. In front of the deathly silent hall Harry stared down at the hat and put his hands on his hips. "Not at all funny!"

"I thought it was," the hat smirked back, and Harry glowered.

"You forget, Gid, that I know certain… skills."

"You wouldn't," Gideon sneered back, and Harry raised an eyebrow before nipping at his finger to draw blood, and then leaning down before quickly drawing a set of runes on the black leather of the hat. They faded after pulsing with activation, and Harry smirked when the black suddenly turned a garish, almost blinding pink. "Wh-NOOO! YOU LITTLE BRAT! I SWEAR TO GODRIC I'LL KILL YOU!"

Harry chuckled and smirked down at the completely defenceless hat. "Ah, no… you're bright pink. I'd see you coming a mile off. And besides, Gid, Hogwarts seems to agree with the new… style you're sporting."

It was true too; light, musical laughter bounced off the stone walls, and the Sorting Hat scowled up at Harry. "I'll get you back," it growled dangerously, "just you wait and see."

Harry waved his hand over his shoulder as he walked down the stairs to his new house, not even turning back to address his old friend. "Says the pink hat!"

A roar of frustration met his words, and he smirked as he sat down at the table of the snakes, all of whom, along with the entirely of the Great Hall, were staring at Harry with silent shock. It took nearly two entire minutes for the Sorting to continue, and even then Harry had to start it off by calling out to McGonagall that he was getting rather peckish. Harry noticed that Dumbledore was looking disappointedly at him, but ignored it. It wasn't his fault that the senile old goat was clouded with delusions of intelligence. Just as he had in the previous timeline, sort of, Harry felt dual pressures on his Occlumency shields, and looked up to the head table to see both Snape and Quirrel looking at him. The latter quickly looked away, withdrawing his attack, but Snape sneered at him as he forced a high-powered probe into his head.

Harry was once more astonished at just how juvenile the man acted. Such an attack on an unprotected minor was proven, many a time, to cause irreversible brain damage. Not only that, but it also destroyed all natural Occlumency barriers, as well as causing the input part of the psyche to become corrupt and not develop properly. '_My mother Lily would despise you for what you are trying to do to her only son,'_ he broadcasted when the greasy-haired man slammed into his impenetrable defences, and Harry smirked as the man paled until he looked almost transparent. Harry's killing-curse eyes bored into the black orbs of his Head of House, and he grinned internally when Snape stood up and excused himself.

Dumbledore watched his Potions Professor's back retreat with worry, and looked over at the young man that had already shocked him several times this evening only to see the raven-haired boy calmly dishing his plate. His eyes narrowed when he noticed all the pureblood protocols Harry was showing; the straight back, perfect posture, as well as the exact angle of his wrist as he used the tongs – acting precisely the opposite of what Dumbledore had expected. Harry exuded a veritable air of confidence and self-surety, and that scared the old man. He'd expected Harry to be malleable; responsive to any and all acts of kindness after the abuse he had suffered, but he wasn't. Dumbledore made a vow to himself he would keep a very, very close eye on the young Slytherin.

At the table of the Snakes Harry was catching several very 'intimidating' looks at where he was sitting and rolled his eyes to himself as he slowly ate. If they thought they were scary, they should take a note out of a hellspawn's notes and try and imitate. Even then Harry would just sneer in their faces, just as he had done to several very high ranking hell-demons in the previous timeline. He ate his food like royalty; his table manners impeccable… and then he looked across at Ronald Weasley and winced. Between sending Harry glares of anger and betrayal Ronald Weasley was acting like a pig in a pigsty. He had a chicken drumstick in each hand, and was alternating between them as if somebody was about to snatch the food away and deprive him of his source of anger-management. As the undignified Gryffindor switched to using his hand to eat mashed potato Harry winced. People around the red-haired youth were shuffling inconspicuously away, and Harry looked down at where he was cutting his steak into neat squares. Merlin forbid he ever end up like that, and the thought that he was once best mates with the messy pre-teen disgusted him.

"So you're Harry Potter."

Harry looked up from his food to stare at the blonde who had barged in opposite, and nodded once in answer. "I'm Draco Malfoy," the Slytherin introduced himself needlessly as he held out his hand, "I can show you the right sorts of people to hang out around."

Harry noticed that the entire Slytherin table quieted to see what was happening, and Harry daintily wiped his mouth with a napkin before answering. "Mister Malfoy, before I take your offer of friendship don't you think it would be prudent of me to know a little about you first?"

The blonde in question looked a little off-putted, but nodded after a moment. "I suppose that's wise."

Harry smiled slightly, "Good, then would you permit me to ask you some questions?" At the young Malfoy's nod Harry set his cutlery down and leaned forwards slightly. "Firstly, Draco, what is your stance on Muggleborns?"

The quintessential Malfoy sneer immediately made an appearance. "Mudbloods?" he scoffed, "They shouldn't even be allowed here! They're completely beneath us purebloods… and half-bloods," he added after thinking about just who he was talking to, and Harry frowned.

"Well that's very interesting Draco, especially considering that Salazar Slytherin was a muggleborn." Everybody in the revered house of Slytherin gasped at the accusation, and Harry looked around with a raised eyebrow. "What? Don't believe me? Salazar Slytherin, born of Fabian and Eva Slytherin – both of whom were non-magical. The reason he didn't trust muggles was because of the inquisition, which came close to discovering his secret and by extension burning him at the stake. He loved his parents dearly."

One of the fourth year students sneered down at him. "And what would you know _Potter_, you're just a misplaced Lion in a nest of Snakes!"

Harry raised a dainty eyebrow. "Oh really?" He turned his head upwards and grinned darkly. §_Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts four._§

The entire hall stopped talking when they heard the chilling hiss of Parseltongue, and the Slytherin that had voiced the question paled just as Snape had earlier. Harry smirked at him, and then looked upwards, prompting the entire hall to follow suit. Everybody gasped when they saw a ghostly face appear out of the wall; a face that people had only ever seen in history books. §_Who calls me in the noble tongue?_ § Salazar Slytherin questioned, and Harry nodded politely.

§_It is I; Harry James Potter. I call you, Lord Slytherin, and arouse you from your eternal rest to bring order back to your house of Snakes. They all believe that muggleborns are disgusting and worthless; little more than mud on the soles of their shoes. I know very well your parents were non-magical themselves, and I simply wished to inform you that your house has fallen far from grace. I want to bring it back to its former glory, and I believe that you do as well._§

Salazar stared at Harry for several very long moments, but his head snapped towards a murmured "Mudblood filth," from near the end of the table. "I see," he growled lowly, and everybody gasped as he glided downwards until he was floating several meters about the Slytherin table. The entire hall was looking at the ghost in shock and amazement; Ravenclaw was thought to be the only founder in Hogwarts, and she never spoke, and yet here was Salazar Slytherin not only talking, but also seemingly about to rant. "My young heir," slackened jaws as they looked at a silently smirking Harry, "informs me that Slytherin House has fallen to disgrace."

"You believe a bloody half-blood like that piece of filth?"

The young woman who had yelled out the protest froze in place when Salazar turned to her and glared darkly. "And who are you to speak of my _heir_ in such a way you little hussy? Oh yes, Lady Hogwarts is telling me all about your little forays into broom cupboards at this very moment _Isis Falkheart_." She slumped down in her seat, scared thoroughly witless, and Salazar turned to look at every Slytherin above first year with a burning glower of pure fury. "Yes… now I see why my young heir called upon me to intervene. You all think that you are above muggle-born and half-bloods, do you? That they are beneath you? I trust that my heir will do me proud in completely eliminating this _disgusting _prejudice. Quickly, the strongest _pureblood_ wizard or witch stand!"

Immediately a seventh year stood with a superior smirk on his face, and Salazar smirked at him. "Ah, fantastic. Harry, my young heir, if you would?"

Smirking Harry nodded, and with a click of the ghost's fingers the entire table cleared of food and widened slightly until it was the perfect dimensions for a duelling platform. Dumbledore hurriedly stood when he saw Harry jump nimbly up onto the table, "As headmaster of this sch-"

"As headmaster of this school," Salazar cut him off with a sneer, "you can be overridden by the will of the Founders. It's what I'm doing right now." Ignoring the shock on the old man's face Salazar turned back and nodded, whereupon Harry flicked his wrist and his jet black want jolted into his palm. Immediately Harry's hair and robes waved about in a silent breeze as his aura stretched out slightly, and those close enough to feel its effects scurried away until they were free of them. Harry watched as the seventh year student ambled forwards onto the opposite end of the table with a confident smirk, and rolled his eyes. Salazar hid a grin and nodded. "No rules; first to fall unconscious or die wins. Begin."

There was muted shock as people absorbed the terms of the duel, but before anybody could intervene the seventh year begun with a curse that made everybody gasp. "Avada Kedavra!"

Harry rolled his eyes as the jet-green curse came at him and didn't move in the slightest. He heard a cry from the Ravenclaw table, but ignored it in favour of raising his wand and smacking the dark curse aside as if it was a mere fly. It whizzed past his hair, whipping it up in its wake, and splashed harmlessly on the stone wall behind the unflappable first year student. The shocked silence deepened, and Dumbledore was staring at the young man with complete and utter shock. It wasn't lost on Harry that he hadn't berated his opponent for use of an unforgivable. Smirking he turned back to the gaping teen and his face darkened until his visage actually distorted. Squeals of fright erupted from everybody that saw Harry, and the time traveller cracked his neck. To everybody he looked like the devil himself. His black aura had conformed to his wishes for intimidation, and had swathed his entire body in a minor illusion. His teeth seemed razor-sharp, his hair had become spiked, and his hands were now clawed. "**My turn**_**,**_" he grinned sadistically, and raised his wand before striding forwards. "**Revisio, ****cutis scalpere****, ****sonus flante****,** **collisio****flamine****!**"

The results were disastrous. The teen, too shocked to have cast a shield, burst into flame with the first spell, and the one after that quickly opened up hundreds of deep slices into his skin. The screams as the sizzling of flesh reached everybody's ears caused several people to throw up. A deafening bang followed, blowing the seventh year's eardrums to bits, and the last spell brought up a blast that blew out the flames with its force; sending Harry's opponent flying off the platform and smashing with a sickening round of crunches as bones broke and fractured. Madam Pomfrey rushed from the staff table towards the downed boy, and Harry jerked his wrist once more to make his wand shoot up his sleeve and attach itself to his skin.

In the deafening silence Harry calmly sat down at the table, and looked up at Salazar, and the man grinned widely. "Ah, a wonderful series of spells Mister Potter – the aura work was particularly effective in providing your opponent with a distraction so he didn't even think of erecting a shield. Yes, very well done my young heir." Harry nodded thankfully at the ghost above, and Salazar looked down the Slytherin table with a sneer. "Clearly blood status means _nothing_," he hissed, making everybody saves Harry flinch, "and it was never anything at any time. My heir is entirely right when he says that muggleborn students, or half-bloods, are just as important and equal to purebloods. In fact, I'd hazard that they're actually _better_ because they have new blood in their lines." His following glare was freezing, and Hogwarts helped reinforce his message by flooding the Great Hall with pure, concentrated magic.

Even Harry felt his breath catch slightly before he started breathing again, and that was truly saying something. Everybody else saves Dumbledore was struggling to breathe. "Rest assured, Hogwarts, I will be taking a personal interest in this blood-status nonsense from this point forwards. It seems that the 'leader of the light'," Dumbledore winced at the sarcasm dripping from Slytherin's voice, "can't even control a school, and thus I must step forwards. Harry speaks with my authority." Harry nodded with acknowledgement and Salazar nodded back before floating slowly upwards as he disappeared. "I will be _watching_…"

Complete and utter silence reigned in the Great Hall, and all eyes were fixed on Harry James Potter; the boy whom everybody had expected to be a Gryffindor, and most certainly not a user of the Dark Arts. Harry saw Dumbledore move to open his mouth but Harry held up a hand and glared at him. "This does not in any way fall under your jurisdiction, Headmaster. The duel was certified by a Founder, witnessed by hundreds, and conformed to all rules set forth. Moreover, I wish to inform you right now that any matters that do not pertain to school… well they will stay out of any meetings you request of me. I am here to learn, not to put up with your senile delusions." Gasps broke out en masse at the way Harry was addressing the most respected wizard in Magical Britain, and the black-haired youth saw all the Gryffindors glaring at him – Ron more so than anybody else. Hufflepuff looked pensive, while Ravenclaw looked scared.

None of the reactions surprised Harry. Gryffindor would assume he was evil and the next Dark Lord because he was a Parseltongue, he knew that from the start, but he knew that his defense of muggle-borns and half-bloods had gained him some serious respect from the Badgers. Ravenclaw was just shitting itself because Harry was so incredibly knowledgeable, and they hated being upstaged. He saw Hermione wiping at her eyes and realized that the scream when he'd been on the receiving end of the killing curse must have been her. As food once more flourished onto the Slytherin table to resume dinner, which had barely started, Harry made to remedy that. The slight murmurs of conversation that had started up stopped immediately when Harry stood up from the Slytherin table, and all eyes followed him incredulously as he walked over to the Ravenclaw table and sat down next to Hermione before dishing up food once more.

"Sorry for worrying you," he muttered lowly, but people closest to them still heard and spread it down the table, "but I couldn't let that kind of crap carry on. Slytherin's a disgrace at the moment, and that needs to be fixed. This was the first step." Hermione nodded slightly and sniffed before wiping the last tears from her eyes, and Harry surprised everybody by leaning over and drawing her into a one-armed hug. He felt the young brunette stiffen in his embrace, and leaned down to press a chaste kiss to her scalp. "Never think you're worthless, 'Mione, and if you ever start feeling unwanted then just come and find me and I'll have a bunch of ego-inflating gratifications for you."

She giggled and Harry smiled before releasing her and smiling warmly down at her blushing face. She raised an eyebrow when he brought a finger up to her lips, and then suddenly shrieked when she felt the inside of her mouth move slightly. Her tongue scurried to discover what had happened, and she froze when she felt her two front teeth perfectly proportioned. "Now let's see that beautiful smile you've been hiding," Harry grinned, and she laughed before grinning right back; for the first time in years unafraid of being teased. "See, pretty as a button," he complimented, and she blushed as a pleased smile spread over her lips.

Albus Dumbledore was completely confused. He didn't know what to think at all, and neither did anybody not in Gryffindor, because they had already made up their minds about hating Harry Potter. The young boy had not only blown Albus' expectations out of the water by the way he acted, but he'd also gotten himself sorted into Slytherin – Slytherin of all places! But then, when he was just starting to think he had another Tom Riddle on his hands he'd defended those with 'impure' blood, which made him stutter in his immediate 'he's dark' classification of the youth. But then he'd gone and used several dark spells in a duel where he'd beaten the snot out of Slytherin's most academically advanced pupil, who was also classified as a master dueler. That had him swinging towards dark again, but then Harry'd just had to go and break the inter-house barrier and go and be all warm and friendly to a Ravenclaw! He'd even showed genuine affection! And that wasn't even counting the fact that Harry James Potter shouldn't know any magic whatsoever! Dumbledore groaned as he felt a headache coming on; he had a feeling that the boy he'd planned on being a martyr was not going to do so willingly.

Completely oblivious as to the mental turmoil he was causing at the head table Harry instead found himself fielding questions from some Ravenclaws that had balls enough to actually say something to him. "How did you know those spells? They're borderline-dark."

Harry turned to the third year that had asked the question and smiled slightly as he sipped at his pumpkin juice. "I read about it in a book."

"Yeah, but how did you _do_ it? You're a first year and you've been living with muggles!"

Harry frowned slightly and pretended to be confused. "Yeah, but what about when I went away and did all those missions? Like saving Princess Jade from the pack of rogue Unspeakables in Iceland?"

Most of the Ravenclaws suddenly looked like they had a light bulb moment, and one of the fifth year students leaned forward with a conspiratorial nod. "Yeah, you're right. And that time you attacked and defeated Count Vlad."

Harry nodded and scrunched up his face into a very mocking 'serious' expression, "Oh yes, yes, definitely that – or the time that I singlehandedly defeated a wave of hell demons that Satan sent to invade Earth."

"Yeah! That too, or the time that-"

"I apologize in advance for the language Hermione," Harry muttered, and then before she could answer he slammed his hands incredulously on the table. "Good freaking Merlin how dense are you? I'm sitting at the table of Ravens; the house that prides themselves on intelligence and well thought out arguments! You actually believe I faced a freaking dragon when I was bloody _seven_? Are you mental?" He turned his head to the front table and sought out Flitwick; speaking even before he caught sight of the diminutive man. "Professor Flitwick, surely you taught your Ravens that not everything they read is tr….ue…." he trailed off when he saw the professor he was looking for attempting to sneak back to his seat holding a book and a quill, and Harry gaped when he saw the title of the book proudly proclaiming: **Harry Potter and the Swarm of Devious Devils.**

The half-goblin blushed bright red at being caught trying to get an autograph, and Harry simply stared at him with a slack jaw. "You have _got_ to be kidding me, really?" He turned back to the table at large, noticing that the entire hall was listening, and shook his head. "Let me tell you about my life, eh? At one year old I supposedly defeated Voldemort," cue the shocked gasps and Harry's rolling eyes, "and I can't even remember much about it. A flash of green, my mother screaming as she was murdered, and a cruel laugh." People were deadly silent as it started to sink in that being the Boy-Who-Lived wasn't necessarily all fame and glam, and Harry continued destroying their preconceived notions about him. "I was then summarily dropped off in the middle of the night at the doorstep of my relatives, in the middle of winter, in a basket. It should be noted that Dumbledore was the one who organized that whole thing." Stares of disbelief faced said man and he shrunk back into his throne-like chair. "The moment I learned how to walk competently I was put to work like a house elf. My 'relatives' forced me to cook all their meals, clean the house, maintain the garden and lawns, and do virtually any other odd job they needed doing around the house."

People were staring at him with complete dubiety, but Harry carried on; he wasn't anywhere near done. "I should also tell you that until I was five I thought my name was 'freak' and I only found out my real name when I went to school and my teacher read out the attendance list." McGonagall looked pale and tearful, and he could feel Hermione shaking next to him. He couldn't bear to look at her expression and so forged on with the story of his early 'life', if such an existence could even be called living. "I remember the first time I burnt a meal Petunia, my 'aunt'," he accentuated with air quotes, "beat me raw with a rolling pin; breaking both my arms and several ribs in the process. The beatings only became harsher and harsher as I grew," he could see the complete shock that there was a punishment harsher than what he had told them, but he had plans to show them just what their savior was subject to at the hands of the people Dumbledore had put him with.

"At seven years old I accidentally apparated onto the roof of my school to get away from my cousin and his gang who were 'Harry Hunting'. It was their favourite game where they would chase me and then beat me to within an inch of my life – often leaving me hidden in some bushes. I lost count of how many times I spent broken and nearly dead as it rained and I couldn't move an inch." He could hear Hermione now, and wrapped and arm around her without looking. He felt her bury her head into his chest and start sobbing, and felt a lump in his throat. Even after twenty-something years of existence he still found that people who genuinely cared for him affected him greatly. "Of course my uncle and auntie didn't like that very much – my 'freakishness' was a crime in the Dursley household. As soon as Dudley went and blabbed I knew I was in trouble. The moment I arrived back at the house I was hauled inside and beaten worse than I had ever been in my entire life.

"Vernon broke both my arms with the fire poker, as well as breaking a couple of ribs with a piece of wood; Petunia shattered my collarbone with a pan and nearly broke my spine with a rolling pin; and Dudley sprained my ankle and cracked my pelvis. I was then thrown into the cupboard under the stairs, which was my bedroom at the time, and left to die – or at least that's what my 'loving relatives' hoped."

McGonagall actually _was_ in tears by now, and Harry knew that it was because she had warned Dumbledore that the Dursleys were the 'worst sort of muggles', and she hadn't done anything about it. Harry didn't feel sorry for her; she deserved the guilt completely. Dumbledore was so far sunk into his seat by this point only his head was visible above the golden tabletop, and he was nearly pure-white-pale. This was not what he wanted at all; he hadn't expected all the dirty laundry to be aired at all, let alone of the _first_ day of school! "So I was pretty much dead," Harry concluded, "bleeding internally… all that jazz." The entire school was staring at the calm eleven year old boy with complete shock and disbelief; they simply couldn't fathom that he could be so calm – hell, he was comforting his friend instead! "Of course magic is a powerful thing. After I finally awoke I lay still for hours as my body healed itself," here he began deviating from what really happened, "and nearly a week later I was able to move again, even if it was agonizing.

"I was so angry, as I'm sure… well no, you can't imagine, but I was angry. When I emerged from the cupboard I managed to get off a wandless banisher with some accidental magic, and I sent my fat whale of an uncle through the living room wall."

"Harry-"

"I'm sorry Headmaster," Harry returned with a deathly glower, and he let his dark aura manifest in his eyes which pulsed darkly, "were you about to address me in a familiar manner? You sentenced me to hell, one that I'm sure even Bellatrix Lestrange couldn't concoct. You will address me as Mister Potter. And another thing, were you just about to berate me for accidentally banishing my would-be-murderer?"

All eyes turned to Dumbledore with barely-restrained shock, and that only deepened when the old man didn't answer the question – which was almost as good as the man shouting out "YES I WAS!" Glares started quickly making an appearance, and Harry pulsed his eyes a deep green once, scaring the fear of the devil into Dumbledore, before continuing. "They were so scared that I could do such a thing that they banished me from the family." Jaws were agape, and Harry explained. "Oh they didn't kick me out, but there was an unspoken agreement that we would completely ignore each other. I was moved to a bedroom, and that was that. I haven't spoken a single word to them in around three years."

He could see complete denial in nearly half the faces there, as well as sneers, and Harry pulled his wand out before holding it up looking like he hadn't a care in the world. "I, Harry James Potter, do so swear upon my life, my magic, and my eternal soul, that all that I have said is completely true, and not exaggerated in any way, shape, or form." He forced a powerful lumos that blinded people, and then tracked some lingering strings of white down his body as he finished. All in all it looked completely genuine, and he was thankful that he could get out of pretty much any situation with his oath. He was, after all, Harry James Potter-_Black_. Hermione just sobbed harder as she clutched at him, and he pulled her into his lap before stroking his hands through her hair and cooing softly to her. He spared a glance around the hall to judge everybody's reactions, and was content with what he saw.

The Hufflepuffs looked ready to kill somebody, somebody preferably with white hair and a rather long beard of the same colour; the Slytherins looked disgusted and shocked at the treatment Harry had been made to suffer; the Ravenclaws all looked completely lost as long-held ideals of books always being true and Dumbledore always being a light, good, and infallible wizard were shattered. The Gryffindors looked conflicted; torn between still hating Harry for 'betraying' them and being a Parseltongue, and thus in their minds a dark wizard, and being on his side and sympathizing. Up at the staff table Harry found Professors McGonagall, Vector, Sinistra, Sprout, and Flitwick in tears. Dumbledore looked as if he wanted to run away. Quirrel looked baffled, and Harry wondered just what Voldemort thought of _that_. Turning his head to the doorway of the Great Hall he saw Snape on his knees outside of them, his face ghostly pale and horrified, and he stifled a snort; all it took for the man to get over his petty shit was to reveal how he was beaten nearly to death – not much at all.

Hermione was just winding down in his embrace, and he slowly smiled when he felt her breathing even out and become deep and rhythmic. Carefully, so as not to disturb her, he stood from his chair; cradling her in his arms as if she weighed nothing, and the silent hall watched as Harry cocked his head to the doors of the Great Hall as he looked at Flitwick. The man nodded and got down from the table, still shedding fat tears from his eyes, and Harry followed him out without even glancing at Snape who was still on his knees softly crying. When they got to the door of the Ravenclaw common room Harry stood, shocked, when Flitwick addressed the eagle knocker directly. "Harry James Potter is allowed inside the Ravenclaw rooms whenever he so wishes, am I understood?"

The eagle gave a small nod. "Of course Professor."

Harry followed the diminutive man inside and looked around the room as if he hadn't seen it before. He did have to keep appearances up after all. Flitwick wiped at his eyes yet again and motioned to the stairs, and Harry found himself following the Charms Professor into a small doorway labeled 'Girls'. Inside that door was a clearly expanded space; seven floors extending high above them, each, Harry assumed, corresponding to a year group. Harry found himself led across the ground floor to a door labeled **Hermione Granger** and Harry walked inside when Flitwick opened the door for him. He gently lay the sleeping girl down on the sheets, and Flitwick watched in silent awe as Harry clicked his fingers and Hermione's clothes disappeared to be replaced with some simple, but elegant silk pajamas. "Mister Potter," the man breathed in wonder, "wandless _controlled_ magic? You will be a delight to teach!"

Harry smiled across at the man and gently tucked Hermione in before walking out the room and motioning to the small man. When the door was closed Harry spoke, his voice warm. "Please, Professor, call me Harry. My animosity is reserved mainly for Dumbledore, though Hagrid and McGonagall do have to answer for their actions as well."

"Minerva and Rubeus?" Flitwick asked, confused, and Harry nodded, quickly outlining just what they had to do with his home situation. The half-goblin looked saddened when Harry finished and nodded. "I must confess that I thought better of them… I can understand giving into Dumbledore, but considering Minerva knew that the Dursleys were horrible not checking up on you is just… unforgivable." He looked up at Harry as a thought occurred to him, "How did you know she said that?"

Harry shrugged with a sly grin. "I have my sources, Professor." The Charms professor rolled his eyes good-naturedly and Harry chuckled before holding out his hand. Flitwick looked confusedly up at him, and Harry jerked his arm again, "The book, for me to sign… if I'm allowed to sleep by Hermione's bedside tonight."

Flitwick narrowed his eyes, scouring Harry for any sign of ill intent, but finally nodded before pulling out his book. Harry was very amused to see how dog-eared it was and chuckled, eliciting a blush from the normally-very composed professor. With a small twist of his hand a quill with royal-purple ink on its tip appeared and Harry grinned as he wrote an inscription. Years later Flitwick would look at the note and laugh at the student that had been such a pleasure to teach.

_For the little man that can sport a blush so big it'd make a giant faint,_

_Best wishes, and the utmost respect,_

_Harry Potter  
_


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm feeling very generous, so here's another chapter! I know! Fast eh? Don't get used to it. Also, I've just recently found out that NaruAndHarrHaremFan is a... well a fan, and I'm one of his, so check out his story "Sacrificial Second Chance" if you have some time; it's awesome, and in my Top 5 watchlist.**

* * *

Harry's eyes snapped open when he heard movement, and his meditative trance slowly faded away leaving him at full awareness. He didn't really sleep anymore; rather he spent that time constructively and added to his Occlumency barriers. So far as he knew his mind was the most protected in the world, though he wouldn't put it past Perenelle and Nicolas Flamel to have done the same. A lot of their secrets, after all, were worth dying for.

He looked down and saw the small brunette's eyes flutter slightly and a small moan of wakefulness pull itself lethargically up her throat and out her mouth, and smiled when her breath hitched and her face fell. "It's all in the past," he reassured her quietly, and Hermione's eyes jerked open with shock.

She stared at Harry looking down at her for several seconds with wide eyes. "What… where are we?"

"Your room in the Ravenclaw dormitory," Harry answered with a knowing smirk, "and yes, Professor Flitwick, your head of house, knows that I'm here."

"B-but boys aren't allowed in the girls rooms, I-I read it in…" she slowly trailed off and Harry chuckled with an appraising eyebrow.

"You're learning."

A pout made its way onto her lips, and Harry just chuckled harder – she looked the epitome of adorable. Her pout only intensified, and that set Harry off into laughter. He didn't know why this timeline seemed to different to the last; the only thing he could think of was that his future soul had merged with his younger one and combined to make a person who could kill without remorse, and yet still treasure moments such as this. "It's against the rules," she protested weakly, and Harry looked at her with mirth filled eyes.

"It's against the rules? That's it?"

A cross look made it onto her face and she sat up, crossing her arms. "Breaking the rules isn't a good thing!"

Harry shrugged easily, "But is it bad? After seeing how distraught you were last night I wanted to make sure you were okay." Her eyes saddened when she thought of just what she had heard last night, but before she could speak Harry waved her off. "I mean what I said; it's all in the past now. I don't live that existence anymore."

"But you did," she said quietly, and Harry shrugged again.

"It shaped me into who I am, and I'm proud of that. Now enough sulking; you need to get ready for the day. Breakfast starts in half an hour, and I need to go and find the Slytherin dormitory, locate my room, have a shower, get dressed… you know, all that jazz. He stood up and was about to walk out when a quiet, "Thank you," came from behind him, and he turned his head over his shoulder before smiling at the cute girl blushing as red as a tomato.

"It was no problem," he assured her, "it's what friends do." He could see the look of complete elation spread over her face at the words but made his exit before she could become embarrassed at him seeing that as well. When he closed the door however, he noticed the complete silence surrounding him. He cringed as he turned around, already knowing what he'd see, and he wasn't disappointed. Shocked female faces, tens of them, all stared at and down on him, and he smiled weakly before making his way rather carefully towards the exit. He made it before those shocked looks could turn into anything else and walked quickly down the stairs, silently groaning when he saw fifteen Ravenclaws already studying in the common room look up at him and drop their jaws. They'd never seen a student with green and silver trim in their area, and the thought that it was possible, which it wasn't according to 'Hogwarts a History', was appalling. With a quiet hiss in Parseltongue at the door he escaped and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I suppose my house was rather surprised to see you this morning Mister Potter," came an amused, high-pitched voice, and Harry looked down at the smirking Charms professor. He groaned.

"I swear they were shocked positively speechless. It seems that they rely too much on 'Hogwarts a History' as completely comprehensive guide-book."

"Yes, well it's been quite some time since a Slytherin was in another house's area." Harry stared dryly down at his Charms professor, and the small man laughed. "Mister Potter, I believe you and I will get along just fine. I must ask, however, that you do not hide your intelligence."

Harry leaned against the stone wall next to him and raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think I'd do that?"

"A gut feeling," the man admitted, "but you didn't deny it. I suspect that you are far, far smarter than you reveal – and I do approve but at least top your year."

Harry's eyebrow rose further. "You believe I have a level of intelligence that would allow me to do that?"

This time it was Flitwick's turn to stare dryly at him. "I believe you have the level intelligence required to gain Mastery in pretty much every subject this school offers if I gave you the tests now and you didn't hold back."

Harry chuckled, "Quite high praise from the Head of the Ravens."

"Once again you didn't deny it."

Harry gave a small bow of his head acknowledging the little man's point, and Flitwick smirked up at him. "Yes, Mister Potter, I believe you and I will get along splendidly. I would tell you where the Slytherin common room is as well as the password, but I suspect you already know."

"The password? No."

"But you know how to get in despite that."

Harry shrugged himself off the wall and gave a small bow with an amused smile on his face. "Good morning, Professor Flitwick."

"Mister Potter," the half-goblin smirked back as he walked towards the door leading to his House's Common Room. Harry made it to the hidden Slytherin Common Room entrance and spoke low in Parseltongue, and just like every other door in the castle would, it creaked open to allow him entrance. Heads turned and regarded him warily, and Harry stopped walking when he saw a seventh year student healing the broken arm of a third year in the corner. "I assume this imbecile tried to get into my trunk," he said with amusement, and the boy in question glared at him.

"Screw you Potter; don't think that you beating Michael makes you king of the Snakes."

"No," Harry agreed amiably, but the entire room chilled when he released a hint of his aura and a dark grin spread over his face, "but me being Slytherin's heir does." The blonde near pissed himself and quickly stopped his retort in his throat.

"Mudbl-"

"If you finish that word, Flint," Harry growled without turning around, "I will personally ensure you know just what it feels like to have mud running through your veins. I assure you that it would not be a pleasant experience." The black-haired quidditch player snapped his lips closed and Harry sent him a parting smirk as he made his way to his room. He was quite happy with the fact that each person got their own dorm, because to be quite frank he didn't want to have to put up with nosey sods that thought they could usurp him. He rolled into his bathroom and shed his robes and then stepped into the shower where a blast of hot water hit him. He groaned with satisfaction as the water washed away the day before and then started speaking. "Madam Hogwarts, I'm quite a private person by nature, and I have certain… business that would best be kept secret. As you can probably tell from my aura these things are dark, but not with evil-intent. As Slytherin heir I ask that you seal my room."

It took a moment, but a melodious voice finally answered him; seeming to come from all around him. "It will be as you wish, young heir, though it will draw suspicion."

He shrugged, "That is fine. I have resigned myself to the fact that most people will not look past the Slytherin name and accept me for who I am, but those that do will discover in time what my plans are. Wizarding Britain needs to learn from other countries' examples and move on from the Middle Ages – heck, I know for a fact that in America the magical community is very close-knit with top muggle scientists to advance both of our kinds."

"An amiable goal, young heir," Hogwarts replied with a smile in her voice, "and one that I shall endeavor to help you achieve. You are aware of the plot against you by the Headmaster?"

Harry nodded, and then smiled upwards. "I am, and that is why I feel odd to you."

There was a silence for several moments before Hogwarts spoke again, and it was clear she was surprised. "How is it that you know you feel odd to me?"

"The temporal magic will take around ten years to fully wear itself out of my aura," he explained with a small smile, "and the reason I have such a high level of contamination is because I come from two thousand and five."

When Lady Hogwarts next replied she actually sounded shocked; no small feat. "Well… that would explain it."

Harry laughed, "It does, doesn't it?" He shut off the shower and grabbed the towel that appeared out of mid-air. "Thanks." As he dried off he wondered about the day's classes and eventually sighed when he thought of Flitwick's advice. He _had_ been planning to hide himself as a merely mediocre student, but that wouldn't really work now he thought about it. He'd shown exceptional understanding of magic the previous day; defeating a master dueler with ease despite having the killing curse cast at him, and he'd defaced a priceless magical artifact as if he did such things daily. Of course it was the killing curse that would draw the most attention, he'd virtually blocked it after all, and such a thing was impossible. It truly was, even for him, but redirecting it _was_ possible – if you had an aura dark and powerful enough. A small, concentrated burst of dark power acted like a positive pole of a magnet, and it just so happened that all dark magic carried this 'charge'. Positive + positive equaled repulsion.

He quickly got dressed in a new set of underwear and robes and walked out the door with his top button undone and his tie slightly off-kilter. He didn't want to come across as a ponce, and being laid-back was a change of pace that was just what the doctor ordered. He froze when he walked into the common room and saw everybody lined up facing Snape, and every head turned towards him. His step only faltered for a second however, and he returned to his confident stride as he walked up to the back of the group and waited. "Ah, Mister Potter… our newest celebrity. Do you think that just because you are the heir to Slytherin it entitles you to be late?"

The dislike was evident in the greasy bat's voice, and Harry _nearly_ couldn't believe it. The man was the most petty, grudge-holding individual Harry had ever met. "Yes, actually, it does. It states in the Hogwarts charter that any heir of the Founders is entitled to manage their time without any consequence due to external commitments and responsibilities. This also applies to certain black-haired professors that hold grudges against sons of certain individuals because they were jealous said individual got the girl." Nobody moved, and Snape stared incredulously at his nemesis' son with complete shock. "So, Professor Snape," Harry continued, not breaking eye contact once, "I can get over the fact that certain individuals are doomed to be right petty _gits_, but can you get over the fact that I'm my own person and never even knew my father, let alone act like him?"

"Detention for a month," Snape ground out, fury in his eyes, "seven o'clock _every_ night."

"Shall I appeal to the board of directors, Professor? I believe they would quite like to know that you regularly perform… hmmm, how to say it… special investigations on students?" Harry said all of this with a completely calm and innocent voice, and Snape stiffened.

He had just been threatened by a student.

His face slowly darkened, and he strode over to Harry before grabbing his arm so tightly that it would likely have broken had Harry not reinforced his bones with magic the second before. "Dismissed!" He turned his head down to Harry and glowered as he dragged him towards the door, "I'll have you expelled for this _Potter_!"

Harry, much to the complete shock of the entire Slytherin house, just rolled his eyes as he was dragged out. "Yes Professor," he replied dryly, and this only served to increase Snape's ire. Harry was dragged right past the doors to the Great Hall, and saw Hermione walking towards him – obviously heading to breakfast. When she looked up from her book and saw him being dragged along by a furious professor she gaped and Harry set her a cherry wave as he passed her by. "I'll be down for brekkie in five, maybe ten minutes 'Mione; just have to deal with a certain egotistical, greasy-haired idiot of a Professor first."

"POTTER!" Snape roared, and Harry looked up with mock confusion.

"I never mentioned your name Professor, but I can see the resemblance to my description." Hermione gaped after her first friend with complete shock at the gall he was displaying, and he sent her a wink as Snape started ranting very unprofessionally and dragged him out of sight.

Harry finally found himself in Dumbledore's office, and the man himself was sat behind his desk; his eyes twinkling brightly as he looked at his Potion's Professor and the child that had caused so much commotion. "Ah, Severus, what brings you here this morning?"

"I want this impertinent little _brat_ expelled! He called me a-"

"I never actually referred to Professor Snape," Harry interrupted lightly as he looked around lazily, as if being in danger of expulsion was not at all a scary experience, "I simply referred to certain theoretical individuals, and the good Professor decided that he fit those descriptions. After all, how on Earth am I supposed to know anything about him? The first time I talked to him was this morning, and after my first words I was brought here."

Snape reddened, his fury going past any logic, but Dumbledore glared warningly at him before turning kindly to Harry, who was still walking slowly around and poking some instruments of intrigue. "Har-"

"I believe I informed you that I would not tolerate a familiar state of address from the man that condemned me to near-death several times, as well as a childhood of torture." That shut the old man quite promptly up, and Harry finally reached Fawkes who eyed him suspiciously. The ancient bird could tell that the being in front of him harbored an almost unfathomable darkness, and yet the taint of malicious intent simply wasn't present. He'd never experienced such a combination before. Finally that tired sigh came, and Harry interrupted once more. "The slight faltering at the beginning of your sigh," he analyzed serenely, "as well as the slight upwards infliction of depth at the end suggest to me that it is not genuine. You feel no regret for your actions saves the fact that they failed." He finally looked over at the shocked man and sent a dangerous grin, "Your lack or response and look of shock confirms the fact that I am correct in my analysis."

"Har- Mister Potter," he corrected at the youth's glare, "you must understand-"

"I understand very well Headmaster," Harry replied as he once more looked away and begun exploring the office once more, "that you have plans, and that I have ruined them almost completely. I also understand that you are afraid I will turn out like a certain Slytherin prefect in 1942."

"How do you know about Tom Riddle," Dumbledore demanded sharply, and Harry turned around with surprise all over his face; the picture of innocence.

"Tom Riddle? Who's he? I was simply throwing out a random station and year; I simply assumed that there was somebody 'bad' in that year, just as Draco Malfoy is the 'bad' person in this year."

Dumbledore's countenance darkened with frustration, and Harry hid a smirk of amusement. The old man was just too easy to rile. "Har-Mister Potter," he once again corrected himself at Harry's glare, "I am concerned about your behavior."

"Have I broken any rules?" Dumbledore frowned but shook his head. "Have I given any indication that I am untrustworthy?"

"You used dark spells-"

"Grey spells," Harry corrected with a slight glare, "which are entirely legal to use. I also note that the student that cast an unforgivable, and the worst one of the lot, is still present in this school."

Harry didn't know that, but Dumbledore needn't know. "And how do you know that?" Dumbledore questioned lowly, and Harry raised an eyebrow, a slight smirk playing at his lips.

"Why you of all people, Headmaster, should know that the walls have eyes and ears. They also have mouths."

"Enough!" roared Snape with utter loathing, "I demand that he is expelled! He is a disrespectful little brat just like his _father_!"

"And you are a vindictive, horrible man just like yours," Harry commented offhandedly, and both Snape and Dumbledore froze. Harry just continued poking at a particularly interesting contraption that burped golden clouds whenever he touched it. Snape was stiff and silent because of the pure, horrifying level of hate and anger coursing through him, while Dumbledore was immediately even more suspicious.

"Mister Potter, how is it that you know so much about the magical world? And such details of people's lives? Information such as that is in no way easy to come by."

"I always read underneath the underneath," Harry said slowly, "and I read you asking just why I'm not a clueless, malleable, shy, and withdrawn little boy after the abuse you knowingly put me through."

"I didn't-"

"Save your meaningless lies for somebody that gives a figurative shit," Harry snapped, and Snape finally burst.

"See!" he all but screamed as he pointed furiously at the still-calmly-perusing Harry, "He must be expelled! I demand it! I will not teach a complete brat like him my art! I can just see it now; can you imagine the damage he would cause if he managed to bribe his way into potions! His arrogance would get people killed if he were to try brewing even the simplest of potions such as the Draught of Peace!"

"Twenty level measuring spoons of Agrippa stirred twice clockwise every ten seconds over a blue flame until it begins simmering," Harry explained boredly, "then add three petals of Asphodel before turning off the heat and allowing it to infuse with the Agrippa for precisely five minutes, stirring once at three minutes; slowly clockwise for ten seconds. Turn heat back on, bring to rapid boil, add two crushed black beetle eyes, wait two minutes then stir ten times clockwise and once anti-clockwise. Repeat eight times. Turn off heat. Leave for one minute, then add one powdered doxy egg. Stir once clockwise. Allow to cool for nine minutes precisely then add one measuring spoon of fresh shrivelfig juice. Stir twice clockwise, three times anti-clockwise, and then once more clockwise. Turn on heat, bring to rapid boil, then immediately strain into standard-size three vials and cap whilst still hot." He turned his head over his shoulder to stare at the two gaping men, and then Harry grinned deviously. "Of course if one then allows the potion to cool completely, and then places the sealed vials into a cauldron of boiling water for three minutes then the effects of the calming draught intensify, lengthen, and the resulting vivid, multi-sensory hallucinogenic can be used as a rather fun way to pass several hours."

Snape was completely floored. He didn't know what to say. Not only had the boy he'd just been trying to get expelled just tell him how to make a perfect calming draught, but he'd also found a way to make a new potion that hundreds of people would pay a hefty sum of money for. Slowly an idea begun to form, but his thoughts were interrupted by a clearing throat. "Before galleons symbols begin appearing in your eyes Professor Snape, that potion is patented and licenced to an alias of mine. I withhold all rights to it."

Now the anger returned, and Snape's petty nature reared its ugly head. "Albus, I demand that patent as reparations for his behaviour!"

"And I demand that you repay the life debt you owe by father by being civil to me for the rest of your miserable life." The room turned icy, and Harry turned around to stare at the livid potions professor. "You don't have to like me, in fact you can still hate me but I expect you to treat me like every other Slytherin student. Shall I force your hand by magically binding you to that?" Not waiting for an answer he nodded. "I think I will considering you were planning on stealing my hard earned work. I, Harry James Potter," he muttered 'Black' quickly under his breath, "hereby do call due the life debt owed between my father and Severus Snape. The terms are that Severus Snape will treat me as he would his most respected Slytherin student, so mote it be."

The debt didn't require acknowledgement from Snape as he was the one who owed it, and Harry turned to Dumbledore with a small nod; ignoring the disappointed look. "Good day." Without looking back he left the office and headed back to the Great Hall, and it quietened almost immediately upon his entrance. He didn't pay it any attention and, to everybody's immense surprise, he walked over to the Gryffindor table and approached two identical redheads. They watched his approach, and one of them yelled when a piece of parchment was summoned from his robes and went flying into the Slytherin's hand. "I'm mini-Prongs," he said by way of explanation, and both Fred and George gaped at him before falling out of their chairs and bowing down to him yelling out "WE ARE NOT WORTHY!" repetitively.

Harry shook his head with a grin at their theatrics and cleared his throat while making motions with his hands, "Yes my minions, be still for your lord." They comically did as they were asked, and Harry saw the mischief in their eyes. Only the people behind Harry saw the motions he was making with his fingers behind his back, and everybody stared as two massive buckets of water suddenly appeared hovering over the two twins' heads. Harry watched Fred suddenly reach for his wand, and Harry clenched his fist. Less than a second later both Weasleys were looking like a pair of drowned rats, and Harry smirked at their gaping expressions. "Let this be a lesson; do not try and prank your betters. Now, I have a proposition." The entire hall watched as Harry pulled his wand and cast a drying charm on the pair and then drag them over to a corner, and McGonagall narrowed her eyes when she saw the normally-unflappable Weasley Menaces actually become speechless.

Their jaws were slack, and then she herself gaped when he saw both twins wipe at their eyes and shake Harry's outstretched hands, crossed over of course, with serious but joyous smiles on their faces. The pair finally returned to their House table looking overwhelmed, and Harry smiled as he made his way over to Ravenclaw. As he passed by Hufflepuff though, he leaned down to a busty-seventh-year blonde at the end of the table and whispered into her ear. "Nym, you're beautiful naturally. Don't try and cater to these… perverts. If they can't appreciate you for you then they're not worthy of your time."

Acting as if he hadn't just changed the lives of three separate people he walked over to Ravenclaw table and sat down beside Hermione, bringing her into a one-armed hug for a moment as he kissed the crown of her head. She blushed a deep red at the action, but looked inordinately pleased. Harry wondered just where he was planning on going with his best and first friend – especially as he already had a girlfriend. Shaking it off he begun buttering a piece of toast, and relaxed as conversation slowly picked up again. "What did you say to the twins?" Hermione asked as she spooned some porridge into her bowl, and Harry wiped his mouth before answering.

"I gave them a much needed boost in confidence. They're complete geniuses really, but neither Hogwarts nor their mother appreciates it. I simply made sure they knew that somebody had their back."

Hermione smiled, "That was nice of you-"

She squealed and fell off the table, as well as everybody near Harry did, when a black blast of flame suddenly erupted in front of the still-calmly-eating preteen, and silence once again entered Hogwarts when the fire died down to reveal a pure black phoenix with piercing blue eyes and royal purple and deep azure tail-feathers and plumage. "Must you make such entrances Hermes?" McGonagall nearly fainted at the Head table when she realized that this was Harry's familiar. Everybody watched as a silent conversation seemed to take place between the pair, until Harry sighed. "Damn… I was hoping they wouldn't make a move. Please inform Victor that contingency number four would be appropriate." Hermes nodded before flaming away once more, and Hermione slowly picked herself up off the ground to stare at Harry, who was not leafing through several documents that the Dark Phoenix had dropped off.

"His name is Hermes, he's a phoenix, and he's my familiar. There. All questions have been answered, and I expect the matter to be laid to rest," he ordered firmly to the entire hall, and immediately excited whispers and mutterings broke out. Hermione tentatively sat down at the table and looked over at her first friend, and found him quickly scanning long, complex-looking pages while occasionally munching on something. "What're they?" she asked gingerly, and he looked across at her for a moment before returning to what he was doing.

"Business transactions, correspondence, requests, financial papers…" he listed off as he read, and she watched in awe as he twiddled his fingers slightly and a muggle fountain pen appeared in her hand. She watched him quickly scratch off a couple of signatures, and was surprised when she saw that the ink was red. "It's blood," Harry explained helpfully, eliciting a gasp from those around him, "it's required since these are all either contracts or important deals."

Hermione watched Harry out the corner of her eye as she ate, and immediately gave him all her attention when he growled low in the back of his throat. "What?"

He looked across at her and after a moment a teasing smile quirked his lips. "Does my pretty little Raven find herself wanting to become more… intimate with my life?"

The resulting blush and small eep was his answer, and he laughed as he shook his head and motioned to the parchment in front of him. She peered at it, trying to ignore the fact that her face felt as if it was about to catch fire, and frowned when she saw that it was written in German. "One of my companies is expanding into underground territory; Neo-Nazis." She gasped as she jerked back to look at him and he shrugged. "This here," he tapped the letter with the base of his pen, "is a rather angry letter calling me all manner of insulting names and warning me that if I don't stop encroaching on 'Nazi territory' then they will retaliate with brutal violence. There's a threat or two about torturing me to death, as well as all my loved ones…" he perused the words in front of him and suddenly a chuckle erupted from his lips, "Oh he is very creative. Some of the torture techniques in here would have the staunchest, most resolute man begging for death."

People who were in ear-shot were staring at him, shocked that he was so calm in the face of such danger. He saw the looks, especially the one from Hermione, and shook his head with a small laugh. "Oh there's no danger at all. I work through an alias, and there are several people encroaching on their 'territory' at the moment so even if somebody here told tales they wouldn't know which one was me." She watched with slight awe as he quickly pulled out some fresh parchment from his pocket and churned out a huge letter within mere seconds, and with a flourish signed it before folding it and sealing it in an envelope. She couldn't see the name he addressed it to before he had turned it over and put it aside, but several minutes later fell out of her chair once more when the black flare of flames returned. "Just a minute Hermes," he assured the Phoenix, and a quiet trill rang out in answer to what he'd said. Contrary to the happy feeling people had been expecting, dread and fear swept through them – almost like a Dementor's presence.

Finally Harry signed the last piece of parchment and tied all the paper together before placing it in Hermes' outstretched talon. "Be safe," Harry smiled, and he swore he saw his familiar roll his eyes before flaming away. "Cheeky turkey," he muttered as he sipped at his tea, and Hermione made it back to her seat a moment later.

"How did you get a _phoenix_?" she hissed, and Harry looked across at her, amused.

"Erm… by bonding with him? He just turned up one day, whispered into my mind he wanted to be my familiar, and that was that." All of that was a lie, because in reality he'd created Hermes from his own magic, but it was near'ish enough.

"Wow…" she breathed lowly, and Harry smiled before finishing the last of his coffee. The two walked together to their first class; mixed Slytherin-Ravenclaw Charms, and Harry stifled a smirk as he walked in and caught sight of Flitwick hovering himself way up in the ceiling under a disillusionment charm. Harry placed his things next to Hermione, and she frowned in confusion when he didn't sit but rather advanced to the front of the class. When he finally reached the dais he cleared his throat, and everybody looked at him in confusion as they quieted. "Is everybody here? Good. Welcome to your very first Charms class at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Many of you who haven't read ahead will be wondering at the question: just what is Charms? Charms can be described as a slightly lighter subject than transfiguration, which I must add is very hard work. With Charms there's a little more leeway for a little personal creativity – with transfiguration you have to get it exactly right; transfiguration is more scientific.

"But you see Charms can be an amazing subject; magic can be twisted to do incredible things and achieve amazing feats. For instance-" He waved his hand at the space directly beneath Flitwick, and a whole slew of pillows popped up out of nowhere. Everybody stared in amazement and Harry held up his hands to stop any questions. "That was, admittedly, wandless, and not many, if any of you, have the control or capacity to do such a thing – but you could definitely achieve that with your wand." He pulled out his own and waved it at the cushions, which promptly started rippling with eye-catching combinations of colours. "Charms is the basis for enchanting; making things do what they normally couldn't. Of course enchanting is not a subject offered at this school, however the Ravenclaw Head of House," he waved his hand upwards, and with a muted squeak Flitwick's levitation and concealment charm was broken. A second later he impacted on the cushions, and everybody gasped in awe when they burst into a plume of snow that floated airily around the class. "I'm sure would accommodate you if it was a subject you were passionate about."

Harry turned to the suited half-goblin with a slight smirk and bow, and the Charms professor clapped his hands slightly. "Brilliantly said and done, Mister Potter, I couldn't have done better myself. Thirty points to Slytherin!" Harry smiled before walking back to his seat, and Hermione stared at him; mouth agape. "Mister Potter," Flitwick continued with a broad smile, "is completely right. Charms is essentially making things impossible possible. This lesson we will be learning the hover charm; Wingardium Leviosa. Mister Potter, would you assist me in this class?" Harry smiled and nodded, and the small man gave a small bow of appreciation. "Much obliged. Now the incantation is…"

For the rest of the lesson Harry and Flitwick moved around the class helping any and all that required assistance, and Harry made sure that his attention was divided evenly between the Slytherins and the Ravenclaws. Many were at first afraid to ask him for help after his brutal demonstration of duelling the previous night, but quickly moved past that and called him over. They were shocked at just how calm and patient he was, as well as encouraging, and Harry had the thought that Hermione, in the past timeline, was right; he would have made a brilliant teacher. Knowing that he was shaping people's views on magic was exhilarating. Harry eventually moved over to Flitwick when there were just a couple of minutes remaining and asked if he could make an announcement.

The half-goblin nodded and called for the class' attention, and all eyes swivelled to Harry who was once more standing at the front of the class. "Could I just have a show of hands here of who still hasn't gotten the hang of the Hover Charm? Don't be ashamed, hands up high!" About seven people raised their hands and Harry smiled. "Okay. Tonight I'll be holding a tutoring session an hour before dinner in the Great Hall, okay? Feel free to come along if you have trouble in any of your other classes as well."

Thankful expressions met his announcement, but Harry suddenly turned very serious. His mood was contagious, and everybody looked at him with their full attention. "Unfortunately that is not the only announcement I have to make. Professor Flitwick, I'm sure that you are unaware of this situation as well, but I feel it only fair to spread the word and offer aide." Now everybody was truly interested in what Harry was saying, and he sighed. "I'm afraid that your conceptions of Headmaster Dumbledore are, in many cases wrong, as well as your ideals of 'authority knows best'. Has anybody here heard of something called Legilimency?" Flitwick stiffened, and several Ravenclaws and Slytherins raised their hands. Harry nodded. "For those that do not, it is the art of reading minds."

Looks of disbelief spread through the class and Harry looked at a student in the front row. "You, Kelvin, need to grow a pair and ask Emily out." The boy's jaw gaped, and Harry moved onto a Ravenclaw girl. "Don't worry," he assured her, "your uncle is going to be fine. Spelltrophy is curable, and as Doctor Mitchelson told you, he's improving steadily." The girl stared at him with shock, and Harry turned to Flitwick. The half-goblin frowned, and Harry felt his Occlumency barriers slam up. Harry didn't even need to try, and only had to say one word. "Ellenor."

Flitwick actually collapsed back into his chair, pale as a ghost, and Harry turned back to the class at large. "Headmaster Dumbledore routinely performs Legilimency on students, which is highly illegal by the way, as does Professor Snape. Unfortunately the latter uses what he finds maliciously and will insult you and tear you apart with your deepest fears."

"Headmaster Dumbledore wouldn't do that!"

"He does. In fact that twinkle he has in his eye is a manifestation of that act. My eyes, for instance, darken a shade when I use legilimency. Professor Snape… well his eyes seem to turn cat-like for a moment, but it's barely noticeable. Legilimens have tells, and that's theirs and mine."

"B-but I don't want them reading my mind!" called out a rather scared Ravenclaw, and Harry smiled and nodded.

"Which is precisely your right. Your mind is yours and yours alone. Unfortunately there are people that believe they are above the law. For now, simply do _not_ meet their eyes. No matter what. If they demand you look at them, which Professor Snape has been known to do, look right in-between his eyes, or at his abnormally large nose… it's not hard to miss." Chuckles and giggles met that statement, and Harry grinned. "In addition to that advice, I will be holding classes Monday and Thursday nights from seven until eight o'clock for you to learn the art of Occlumency; the practice of shielding your mind. I will be providing each participant with their own book authored by myself on the subject, as well as an endless spiral-bound notebook. The classes will be held…" he looked to Flitwick with a raised eyebrow, and he received a serious nod in return. "Here. Please spread the word to all your fellow class and year mates, because not only will my version of Occlumency allow your thoughts to remain private, but it will also increase your information recall almost tenfold."

Of course he wasn't about to teach everybody his true version of Occlumency, else he'd never be able to get into people's minds if he needed to. Flitwick nodded his head and walked over to stand beside Harry. "This class will be sanctioned by me… is an hour truly enough Mister Potter?"

Harry shook his head, "I would prefer two, because when we get into Occlumentic trances time flies, but unfortunately first-year curfew is at eight."

"I will give an exemption," the diminutive professor said immediately, "the classes will run for two hours, Monday and Thursday in this room as Mister Potter said. If you are called out on it, tell the professor in question to come and speak to me."

Harry was surprised when clapping started, and he smiled softly when the entire class was applauding his offer. He bowed lightly, and then turned to Flitwick with a small smile. "Much appreciated Professor."

Flitwick shook his head and held his hand out. "I respect you immensely Mister Potter, please call me Filius."

Harry took the offered hand in a small shake and smiled back. "Then I must insist you call me Harry."

Harry was walking out of the class amid warm thanks and pats on the back with Hermione at his side when a call came to his left. "Wotcher Harry!"

The young Potter turned his head and smiled when he saw Tonks, and his smile softened and warmed when he saw the beautiful black-haired woman standing there waving at him. He excused himself from the group and tugged Hermione over, and looked appreciatively at Tonks. "See," he said with a grin, "beautiful just as you are."

It was inordinately hard to make a metamorph blush, but Harry managed it. Tonks quickly suppressed the redness and stared down at him, though Harry noticed that Hermione moved closer to his side and glared at the older Hufflepuff. "'Mione," Harry said quietly, "be nice. Tonks is a friend of mine, and I expect my friends to get along. You're pretty, and Tonks is beautiful. One day you'll be beautiful too." Both women blushed, and Harry gave a small smile. "Now, Nym, what can I do for you."

"I don't normally like people calling me by my first name," the black-haired beauty informed him with a small smile, "but you make it sound nice so I'll let you call me that. I wanted to come and thank you… you're right; if they don't like the real me then they're not worth it."

Harry smiled and looked at her. "I assume you've already heard the obligatory 'you look like Bellatrix Lestrange' reel?" Tonks' face darkened and Harry leaned forwards and took her hand in his, rubbing the back of it softly and injecting some magic directly into her internal core channels. She visibly relaxed and Harry shook his head at her questioning look. "You're your own person Nym, and you look more like your mum than Bellatrix."

"How do you know what my Mum looks like?" she asked suspiciously, and Harry smirked as he allowed her hand to drop. He was pleased to note that she looked disappointed at the loss of his touch.

"The same way I knew you were a metamorph and struggling with your identity. 'Sides, I'm sure you've already noticed that you're nowhere near as clumsy as you were. Because you were constantly changing you didn't get used to a normal center of gravity, and the extra weight on your chest wouldn't have helped." Both Hermione and Tonks blushed at that, and Harry smirked, but it softened into a smile after a moment. "Nym, I'm going to be blunt, just like I normally am. Your breasts are on the small side, but they suit you. And some men quite like small breasts I'll have you know."

In an attempt to gain some face Tonks stared down at him, still red as a tomato. Hermione looked a little faint. "Are you one of those men Harry?" she asked in a slightly seductive voice, and Harry grinned up at her.

"I can only guess, Nym. When I see them revealed in all their glory I'll be able to tell you for sure." Harry didn't think she could get any redder, but chuckled when her hair turned bright red in embarrassment. "But all jokes aside, Nym, the only pair of breasts I've seen are those of my girlfriend. Hers _are_ a few measures larger than yours, and I love them."

Hermione was wavering at this point, feeling quite out of her depth, while Nymphadora Tonks stared down at the bold first year in complete shock. "Y-you've seen a girl's breasts?" she hissed lowly, making sure that nobody passing by could hear, and Harry raised an eyebrow with a small smile.

"I've seen a _woman's_ breasts, Nym. I expect you to keep it very much to yourself, but my girlfriend is twenty." Both Hermione and Tonks gaped at him, and he shrugged. "Age doesn't matter to me, just so long as we're happy. We are happy."

"T-twenty?" Hermione squeaked, and Harry nodded with a warm smile.

"And Nym, I'll tell you what I've told my class; especially now I've told you this. Dumbledore and Snape use Legilimency on students so don't look them in the eye. I'm holding classes on Occlumency starting tonight in the Charms classroom, seven 'till nine o'clock."

Nymphadora nodded mutely and Harry leaned forward and squeezed her hand with a reassuring smile. "Keep being who you really are; she's beautiful."

The slowly fading blush rocketed back into existence, but she nodded with a warm, very pleased, and slightly tearful smile. Harry gently tugged Hermione's arm and she fell automatically into step with him as they headed to Transfiguration. Half-way there Hermione finally gathered herself enough to speak, and she looked up at Harry with sadness in her eyes. She hid the matching expression very well however. "So you have a girlfriend?"

Harry wasn't naïve, and could tell that his first and best friend had a crush on him, and nodded down at her. Her shoulders slumped slightly, and Harry sighed before reaching down and taking her hand. She jolted at the contact and looked confusedly up at him, and his thoughts were whizzing around at a million miles an hour as he thought about what he wanted to do. It was a long shot, and he wondered if it could happen, but he wanted to make sure that Hermione at least held a little bit of hope. He loved her, after all, albeit as a very good friend at the current time, and having her miserable made him pretty miserable too.

"Even though I have a girlfriend, Hermione, it doesn't mean that you don't have a chance." She blushed brightly at being caught out, but stayed silent as he explained. "The wizarding world works very differently to the non-magical world. The laws are archaic, but in this case that's a boon. Unfortunately you've likely been brought up thinking that what I am talking about is just plain wrong; that it's sick; deranged; unacceptable."

"W-what?"

"In the wizarding world," he explained, "polygamy is legal." Hermione froze mid-step and stared up at him in shock, and he shrugged helplessly down at her. "I'm sure you're wondering just what I'm on, whether I'm just a sick pervert that wants more than one woman, but in truth, just as I don't see age as a barrier, I believe that if a person loves more than one… why not? I mean, unless such a relationship wouldn't work in harmony, what's the problem?"

She slowly started walking again, and complete confusion was on her face, as well as the now-permanent blush that seemed doomed to stick to her cheeks so long as the current conversation continued. "But… I…" she took a deep breath. "Theoretically," she proposed shakily, "if i-it happened… I don't like girls in that way."

"How do you know that?" She jerked her head up to look at him and Harry raised an eyebrow, "Really, how do you know? I don't think you truly know until you try. I didn't think I _could_ love until I met Rose, and yet I know I'm falling. I _know_ I'm not bisexual, because I went into a gay club just to see what was going on. I found the idea of being with another male myself not at all pleasing… but do you find the idea of being with another woman repulsive?"

Hermione sunk deep into thought, and Harry stopped outside the door to Transfiguration and placed his hands on her shoulders to get her attention. She looked up at him, and he smiled down at her. "I'll ask my girlfriend about this and see what she thinks, because I would never cheat on her, but just think about what I said in the meantime, okay?"

Hermione nodded and Harry held the door open for her. As he settled down in his chair he wondered just why on Earth this time around was so different and confusing, and with a small sigh gave up and stared at the tabby waiting on the desk. He silently conjured a catnip mouse with the words 'McGonagall's Little Play Toy' embossed in purple and threw it to the front of the class. He saw the cat jerk and move towards the tiger-striped mouse, and then raise its head to glare at him. Harry just whistled innocently.

McGonagall knew from that very moment that Harry Potter was going to be even worse than his father.

* * *

**A/N: Keep the reviews coming!**


	6. Chapter 6

"Right, everybody hush!" Harry stared at the still-chattering students and growled when he noticed that only Hermione, Tonks, the Twins, and Flitwick were listening. With a frustrated sigh he raised his wand and cast a blasting hex, and the mammoth boom that erupted as a result had every single student jumping with fright. Harry glared at everybody saves the few that had been listening from the start. "I'll have you all know that I quite enjoy my free time, and if you're going to waste it by yapping to your 'buddies' then I'll leave you to get mind raped." Everybody took a seat, though some grudgingly, and Harry looked over the assembled group. It was a far larger turn out than he'd been expecting, and Flitwick had had to enlarge the room to fit around a third of Hogwarts into it. "Now before I begin are there any questions?"

"Yeah," sneered Ronald Weasley, "why the hell would we want to learn from a dark wizard like you?"

"Well you tell me you stupid idiot; you're the one that showed up. As a matter of fact," Harry mused, "I can tell you're going to be a disruption in this class so I'd best nip it in the bud." With a wave of his hand the doors opened and Ron was sent flying out of them, and Harry waved his hands once more to close and lock the rather large doors. "The art of Occlumency is something that requires immense concentration and dedication, but the pay-offs are huge. I will be employing a three-strike policy in this class. You piss me off three times and I'll eject your ass just like I did to Mister Foot-In-Mouth, am I understood?" Nods, and Harry nodded back. "Right, now are there any reasonable questions?"

"What makes you qualified to teach us this?"

"A good question," Harry nodded to the young Hufflepuff, "and one that I will readily answer. Professor Flitwick here is a Master Dueller, and thus must have impeccable Occlumency shields so that opponents in a duel cannot get into his head and see his next move. I got past his barriers without him even noticing." Heads turned to the small man who was observing, and many stared at Harry in awe when he nodded in the affirmative. "Now for those that decided to come along and didn't know what this class is for, it is to protect yourselves from mind reading." Several people looked skeptical, and Harry picked one out; a fifth year Gryffindor. "Mister Dawson, I'm quite glad that you find professor Sinistra's legs attractive, but in my class I would warn you to keep your mind on the lesson, am I understood?"

The boy was no longer skeptical, and nodded furiously with a massive blush on his cheeks. "Now what I did was technically illegal," he told the class, who was now riveted on every word he spoke, "however that doesn't stop a lot of people. Dumbledore and Snape routinely read your minds; the former to discover what's going on in his castle and the latter to better insult and demean you. Neither of them can get through my shields, which is why I am qualified to teach. Any more questions?"

A Ravenclaw put their hand up. "Is there going to be homework? Just so we can fit study and things around it."

Harry shook his head, "No homework as such. Before you go to bed each night you will complete a series of exercises, but they will help you go to sleep quicker anyway so it won't cut into your time." He looked around again, and when he saw no more hands he clapped his own together and smiled. "Excellent. Madam Hogwarts, if you please?" Everybody gasped when the room suddenly expanded to nearly half the size of the quidditch pitch, and awed stares appeared on every single face when a meadow suddenly sprouted into being. "Everybody please find a space to lie down! Chop chop, time's a wasting!" He watched as everybody hurried into the grassy meadow and Harry looked around before nodding. "Okay, now untuck your shirts, loosen or just plain take your ties off, shoes as well, robes, jerseys – just keep your dress shirts on as well as your pants or skirts. Get as comfortable as you can; buttons undone, sleeves rolled up, whatever. I really don't give a crap about dress code here."

After a minute everybody was ready and looking at him and he smiled. "Now lie down on your backs, fold your hands over your stomachs, and just listen and do exactly as I say – just focus on my voice." For the next hour he took them into the very depths of their minds. Muggles couldn't achieve such a state as to actually enter their mindscape, but magic helped make such a thing possible. "Now nod your heads if you are standing somewhere different from this meadow." About half the class nodded and Harry took note of those few. "Good, now those that are in a different place explore where you are. You are in your mindscapes, and you should be able to see every memory in your life. Those in their mindscape will ignore my voice until I say… Crumple Horned Snorkak." He noticed that Flitwick was one of the few that had managed the feat and wasn't surprised; he was a Master Occlumens after all.

He took his time in taking the rest deeper, until finally every single person was at the base of their minds; standing on the plane of their very existence. "Crumple Horned Snorkak. In your mind you are God. In your mind you control everything. In your mind, you are king and can do whatever you wish. Some of you will see streams of memories flowing around you, some of you will see piles of memories, floating bubbles; you are all unique and different. Now I want you to pick a memory that you do not mind me seeing, I will give you five minutes to find it." He waited the required time, walking among the deep-trance students, and then nodded to himself. "Hold that memory in your hand, and I want you to think of a way to protect that memory. Do what you need to; visualize your protections around it. Your protections can be _anything_; from rabid pink bunnies to a brick wall."

He waited fifteen minutes and then continued. He cast his magic outwards, filtering his aura so nobody was exposed to it. In such a fragile state a thing like that would likely break their minds. He injected a packet of magic into each student to enforce his next words and pave the way for easier access in later lessons. "You will associate this state of trance with a password that you create for this explicit occasion. It can be a word, an image, a phrase, but it _cannot_ be a memory. Do this now." Another couple of minutes' pause, and then he slowly brought them back out of their meditative state. Eyes slowly flickered open and Harry smiled as a few people sat up and looked around them. When everybody was facing him once more he nodded proudly. "Fantastic work, all of you. Meditation is entirely overlooked in the art of Occlumency, and what you just achieved would take at least a week's worth of lessons such as this every night to achieve. Congratulations."

Proud smiles broke out on faces and Harry nodded upwards at the sky. The room slowly shrunk and Harry nodded to Flitwick who went and opened the doors to the classroom and stood outside where a large box was waiting. "Now, quiet down, as I said to my year class this morning you will all be receiving a book authored by me on this subject in case you want to read ahead or do private study, as well as an endless notebook. The notebook I want you to keep with you at all times to record any and all ideas you have for how to protect your mind. Who knows? Maybe you'll wake up after a dream and suddenly think 'ah! A titanium sphere with a twenty thousand volt current running through it to surround my mind!' or something of the sort, and it could turn out to be your best defense. Now everybody's going to be very patient as you file out, because I'm going to enter your minds one at a time and test your defense around that memory I told you to protect. Class dismissed!"

Harry smiled once again when the clapping came, and bowed slightly before moving to the door. As people passed he went into their minds and broke into the memory, and gave them advice on how to improve on their ideas. Finally it came down to Hermione and Tonks who were last, and Harry smiled when he entered Hermione's mind. He wasn't at all surprised when he saw a rather large sphere instead of a small one and easily pierced it before quickly withdrawing before he could see what resided within. She looked shocked at how easily he had achieved a breach and he smiled reassuringly at her. "It was truly very good, 'Mione; I _do_ have skill beyond a Master Legilimens. That shield would hold Dumbledore for probably five seconds, which is very good for a first try." She looked dejected at such a small number but Harry just chuckled as she walked out to get her books and waited.

Harry looked into Tonks' nearly-black eyes and sunk into her mind, and found himself staring at a floating metallic ball. He stared at it for a moment, and then grinned before piercing it with ease. He knew he'd made a mistake when the shiny ball turned red, and quickly dove for cover as it exploded. He stared back at the blast zone with a raised eyebrow and pulled out of her mind, and she collapsed to the ground woozily looking rather ill. "It was a very good idea, Nym," he assured her as he leaned down and steadied her, "in fact we'll be covering decoys in a later lecture, but ones such as that can be a double-edged sword if you don't do them right. You dented the base of your mindscape, which is why you're feeling like shit."

He pulled a hangover potion from his pocket and uncapped it before pouring it into her mouth, and she slumped with a relieved sigh when the thumping headache disappeared. He helped her to her feet and grinned, "But a very good effort."

She smiled thankfully at him and then, much to his surprise, leaned down and kissed his cheek before hurrying away with a huge blush on her cheeks. Hermione looked just as shocked as he was, and then stared at him worriedly. He waited until Flitwick had thanked him and bade him goodnight before walking towards her and he shrugged slightly. "Who am I to deny her Hermione? I like her; she's fun, good-natured, talented… I could very easily come to like her romantically." Her face fell yet again and Harry put a finger under her chin to force her to look at him. "Once again, think about what I said. Could you imagine how wonderful such a relationship would be if we forgot about prejudice? If one of us had to go away on a trip we would still have one of our loves there to comfort us and be with us. If one of us had a falling out with the other then the remaining partner could bring us back together. Apart from having another person to love and be loved by… think about the benefits Hermione."

She nodded slightly before taking his hand with a blush, and he walked her silently to the Ravenclaw Common Room. Harry had been slightly expecting it, but when she stood on her tip-toes and kissed the side of his mouth he still stared at her with surprise. She smiled slightly before rushing inside with a blush, and Harry groaned as he hurried back to his room. All the Slytherin's made a path for him and the moment he got to his desk he sat down, pulled out a sheaf of lined paper, and pulled out his normal fountain pen.

_My dear Rose._

_I hope you're doing well, and you haven't yet painted the master bedroom pink (I'm just kidding). Truly however, I do hope you're settling in okay. I know it's too big for one person, but it'll be a bit livelier when Christmas rolls around. Feel free to invite any of your family (including that cousin I know you hate because she's stuck up. In fact, definitely invite her – I know for a fact that you would love to see the jealous look on her face) for a Christmas dinner. _

_My time at Hogwarts so far has been very… interesting. Last night I found myself telling my life story, turning the tides against Dumbledore, announcing myself as the Heir of Slytherin, dueling a seventh year Slytherin (also a Master Dueller) into submission after he cast Avada Kedavra at me, and sleeping at my friend's bedside after she cried herself to sleep after she heard how I was treated. _

_This is where we come to my current predicament._

_Rose, we've officially been… well, official, for three days now, and I must confess that I'm a bit distraught that such an issue has come up so quickly. My friend, Hermione Granger, has a crush on me, and a seventh year Hufflepuff named Nymphadora Tonks, is also attracted to me after I told her to just be herself (she's a metamorph) because anybody that didn't like her for her wasn't worth her time. Both have kissed me, though I have not kissed them back saves in a chaste manner – I wouldn't cheat on you. The thing is that telling Hermione that her crush is useless… I can't do it. Instead I opened a whole new can of worms and suggested to her that because polygamy in the Wizarding world is legal there may be a way for us to work._

_The thing is that I will not even initiate romantic contact if you are not comfortable with it. I know very well that you have confidence issues, and I assure you that you mean the world to me. With each passing minute I find myself thinking even more dearly of you… and I believe I am falling in love with you. I've never felt anything like it before Rose, saves from when I touched your mind… I never thought I could feel it. But knowing what it feels like, and knowing that Hermione and Tonks might feel that for me… if you rejected me now I would be heartbroken, and I can only think of the pain it would cause if I rejected them. _

_I want to reiterate that I will __**NOT**__ initiate anything with either of them without your explicit consent. If you believe that you could not abide by such a thing then I will understand completely and not think any less of you. I know for a fact that the thought of another man being with you makes me want to vomit with jealousy, and I would not hold the same reaction on your part with me being with another woman against you. Business deals, death threats, manipulations, plots against me hidden in the shadows… I can understand and deal with all of that. This, however, I cannot do alone._

_Please forgive me for even asking this of you Rose; even just considering that this will upset you is painful._

_I await your response._

_Love,_

_Your Harry._

He sat back in his chair with a deep sigh and rubbed at his eyes. "Hermes." The Black Phoenix burst into existence in front of him and Harry pointed to the letter resting on the desk. "Would you please be able to deliver that to Rose? She should be at the London manor."

The bird nodded and disappeared with the letter, and Harry wondered just what on Earth was going on. In the previous timeline he'd never really attracted the attention of females, and yet now _three_ were interested in him all at once – and he was falling for one of them. He knew he could easily start falling for the other two if he allowed himself, but he wouldn't do such a thing unless Rose said he could. She was his current girlfriend, and Harry was not a cheater.

His sleep that night was nowhere near as peaceful as he'd wanted, though it was not unexpected. He'd found a woman that accepted him and his darkness, and he was asking her to give permission for him to bring another two women into their relationship. As he'd said in his letter, if Rose wanted to bring another man into their relationship he'd be appalled, and very, very insulted. He'd feel betrayed… and that was what he was worried about. Rose's smell on the pillow did nothing to calm his nerves.

When he got up for breakfast he had dark lines under his eyes. Everybody he came across steered well clear of his path, and Harry couldn't blame them. He felt like Death slightly warmed over. He walked over to the Slytherin table and sat down with a small thump and lethargically dished up some oatmeal and sliced peaches. He saw the worried looks he was receiving from two certain females at the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables but pushed them to the back of his mind. He was just finishing the last few mouthfuls of breakfast when black flames blasted right in front of him, and he completely ignored the people around him falling off their chairs. He immediately snatched the letter from his Familiar's beak, and muttered an apology for being so rough. When the bird trilled Harry got the impression that Hermes knew precisely why he was so hasty, and forgave him for it.

He tore open the letter and unfolded it, and his eyes scanned hurriedly through the neat, cursive scrawl as if doing so would lessen the impact.

_My Harry._

_I wrote five letters before this one. I used curse words I didn't even think I knew in the majority. You were right when you said it would cause me pain. This is the fourth day we've been together, and already you want to bring more girls into our relationship. I was blind to a lot of what you'd written after hearing that, but I think both of us are lucky I had the sense of mind to cool off before sending anything. I do have confidence issues, and I wondered, and still wonder, am I not enough for you? I love you, I've made love to you, and I sleep every night breathing in your scent wanting you to be sleeping beside me. I wonder if you feel the same._

_But I finally re-read the letter you sent me, and I am relieved that you will not cheat on me. I realized that it sort of isn't your fault, and in a way you're right when you said that the pain you could inflict on them would be hard to deal out if you rejected their affections. I know that if you were to reject me now I would likely break. You're too nice for your own good, and I mean that in a good way… but in this case it has caused a large problem. _

_But you probably want my answer. You're likely just as on-edge as I am right now. I didn't sleep a wink. I am not comfortable with you making romantic advances on either of the two women you mentioned. Before you get all depressed just like I know you will, because you'll be thinking you'll have to break them by rejecting them, don't. I will admit that I have been curious about being in a relationship with a woman several times, and the opportunity to see where such a thing would lead does interest me. The thing is Harry, that if we were going to bring another into our relationship, I need it to work. My insecurities run deeper than you can possibly imagine, and while this situation causes me immense distress… I know for a fact that I would never crawl out of the hole if a lover of mine rejected me._

_I think we're the same like that. When we're in a relationship we devote immense trust and a lot of ourselves into it. Breaking that is probably just as bad as the Cruciatus curse. It took me years to get myself into a state that I actually was willing to be with you; three years for me to study you and see if you would be one of those men that would treat what I gave as a fling. _

_But once again, you probably want my answer in full. I do not want you being romantically involved in any way with either Hermione or Nymphadora, __**but**__ I would be willing to meet them over the Christmas holidays so I can get to know them better. If this happens, we all need to love each other equally, and I can't see if that is a possibility until I meet and talk with them._

_Although this hurts Harry, my feelings for you haven't changed. And before you get worried, the thought of another man in our relationship disgusts me too. This is a challenge for us to get through together, and although not many couples would have such a challenge as ours, we need to move forward to get stronger. _

_I'm still yours, and you're still mine._

_Your Rose._

_P.S. The training is very hard, and that personal trainer you hired is insane! I'm still aching from last night!_

Harry slumped; his head coming down to smack on the tabletop as he gave a sigh of complete relief. She didn't hate him; she still loved him; and she was willing to think about what he had asked. It was all he had hoped for and more. After several seconds gathering himself he raised his head and folded the letter neatly before placing inside his robe pocket. The moment he took his hand away however, he heard a small beep. He immediately snapped to look at the head table and glared furiously at Dumbledore when he saw the wand resting in the old man's lap. The Headmaster looked shocked that the letter wasn't flying into his hand, and he looked up to Harry's face in confusion. He jolted bodily back when he saw the fury in the young Potter's eyes, and immediately pocketed his wand.

"Strike one, Dumbledore," he growled loudly out, and the hall quieted. "Three and you're _out_."

People looked between the pair, confused as to what the hell was going on, but Harry stood up and walked out the hall before questions could start flying around. He heard two pairs of hurried footsteps behind him and knew immediately just who they belonged to. He turned his head over his shoulder to see Tonks and Hermione staring worriedly at him, and he sighed before motioning them into an empty classroom. After erecting privacy wards he sat them down and begun pacing in front of them both. "Harry, what's happening?" Tonks asked, and Harry turned his head towards her.

Hermione stayed silent, already having deducted who the letter was from and what it was about, and Harry sighed. "The letter I received at breakfast was from my girlfriend." Both of their eyes darkened and Harry sent them a reprimanding glare. "You have no idea what you've put either of us through by doing this, so don't you get all pissy at Rose." Both looked surprised at his snappish retort, and stared at him. "Tonks, you like me. Quite a lot."

"No I-" she cut herself off when she saw Harry's piercing stare, and then lowered her head with a blush. It was all the answer Harry needed.

"Now I am in a relationship. I'm falling in love with my girlfriend, and it is by no means a short-term relationship. Both of us enter relationships for the long haul." Now both of their faces fell and Harry sighed. "I talked to Hermione about it, but Polygamy is legal in the wizarding world." Tonks' head snapped up so quick Harry was surprised she didn't get whiplash. "But I told her also that there was a condition on such a relationship happening. My girlfriend had, and still has, the ultimate say. I wrote her a letter last night telling her the situation, and she replied this morning. The reason I'm so damn tired is because I worried the entire night that me telling her I was even considering bringing another woman, let alone two, into our relationship would make her hate me, and would hurt her.

"To my complete, overwhelming relief she does not hate me… but I hurt her, and pretty badly. She still loves me the same, but it will take time for me to repair the damage this has done. That is why neither of you has any right to dislike Rose; because she's agreed to meet you both." He could see the interruptions and held out his hand with a warning glare. "She said that if such a relationship was going to happen then we would all have to love each other equally, which would mean completely. She hasn't agreed to anything at all, before you get your hopes up too high. Over the Christmas holidays we will invite you to our house-"

"You live together?"

Harry stared at Tonks for a moment, unnerving her, before nodding. "Yes. She lives in my manor in London. We've made love, Tonks; living together is naturally the next step."

Now both Tonks _and_ Hermione were gaping. "Y-you've had sex?" squeaked Hermione in shock and Harry nodded again. "But… that's illegal!"

"Hermione… you know what? We have half an hour before we need to head for class, so perhaps this is an okay time to do this." He looked away from them at the nearest wall and spoke. "Lady Hogwarts, would you please seal this room and ward it with every single privacy ward and protective ward you can?" A deep thrum was his answer, and he turned back to the now-dubious looking women. "I will require an oath that you will not in any way divulge what happens from now until we walk out of this room."

"That's dangerous Harry," Tonks said nervously; her eyes flicking around wearily, "I mean you could rape us and we wouldn't be able to do anything about it." Harry stared at her, shocked, and she jumped after a moment before waving her hands disarmingly. "Not that you'd do that! But I'm just saying that it's a dangerous oath to take."

His eyes softened and he nodded. "I suppose it is. If I swear an oath to not physically hurt you then will you promise to swear an oath?"

"Physically?"

Harry nodded nervously, "Well yeah. You could possibly be hurt mentally… but the chances are low. It would be terrifying at worst."

Both Tonks and Hermione stared searchingly at him for several seconds before nodding, and Harry raised his wand. "I, Harry James Potter," he neglected the 'Black' because he wasn't ready to divulge that yet, "do swear on my life that I will not physically harm either Nymphadora Tonks or Hermione Granger whilst we are still in this room, so mote it be."

He did his well-perfected 'oath-accepted' trick and both women eyed him suspiciously. "While we're in this room?" Hermione questioned with apprehension, and Harry raised an eyebrow.

"And if I took that out then if I accidentally stood on your toe in the hallway I'd die… I don't think so."

Hermione had the good grace to look sheepish. Both witches raised their wands and swore their oaths, and Harry nodded when they both flashed correctly. "So why did we swear that?"

"Because you have no idea who I am," he replied. "Hermione, you said with exasperation that having sex with Rose was 'illegal'. To be quite honest Hermione, I've done plenty of illegal things. On my first trip down Knockturn Alley-"

"You went down Knockturn?" screeched Tonks, but she quickly snapped her mouth shut when Harry sent her a dark glare for interrupting.

"Yes, Knockturn," he confirmed, "I killed five people." Both Hermione and Tonks stared at him, agape, and a little horrified, and Harry shrugged. "Admittedly they tried to kill me first, but I didn't turn back. I was well aware that if I continued down the alley I'd have to kill more people, and I did so anyway. My point here, Hermione, is I really don't give a shit about illegal."

"Language, Harry," she automatically reprimanded, but it was very weak and lacking any real heat.

"But… why would you keep on going? If you knew you had to kill people?"

Harry pulled out his wand. "To get this. It's untraceable, and it has a liquid blood core… my blood."

Tonks gasped, "That's really-"

"Illegal," Harry finished dryly, "yes, I'm aware."

Tonks shook her head seriously. "You'd better be careful Harry, people are going to start thinking you're dark if you do things like that."

Harry snorted. "They already _do _think I'm dark. I'm a Slytherin after all… but they're not wrong."

"What do you mean?" Tonks asked wearily as she reached slowly towards her wand, and Harry watched her hand with slight amusement.

"Well, they're right that I'm Dark."

Hermione gasped in shock as her fears were confirmed, and Harry found himself staring at a glowing tip of a wand held by a very scared looking Nymphadora Tonks. "You're Dark? I-I can't let you get away with it."

Harry rolled his eyes and sat down, resting his feet on another chair. "I'm Dark, Tonks, not evil. There is a difference."

"What's the difference?" she asked guardedly, and Harry raised an eyebrow.

"I've not become tainted by the Dark Magic. I use it frequently, in fact outside of Hogwarts I use it almost exclusively… but I've managed to keep myself safe from the mental changes it usually causes. I don't kill for fun; I don't torture unless I really have to, and the person is a 'baddie'; and I don't do what most Dark people are accused of."

"But you've killed," Hermione protested, and Harry nodded with a shrug.

"I killed murderers. When I walked into that alley they tried to kill me, and I did the world a favour by taking them out of the equation. What if an innocent, curious child got separated from their family and decided to go and have a wee explore? He'd be dead in seconds, and harvested for potions ingredients or something equally as disgusting." Tonks' wand wavered as she conceded that point, but it didn't fall. "I've tortured Death Eaters for information, and then killed them… sure," Tonks' wand was back steady pointing at his face, "but I invaded their minds before I did and made sure they were guilty first."

"Guilty of what?" Tonks asked quietly, and Harry turned his killing-curse-green eyes onto her.

"You really want to know? And besides, which one? I've tortured many."

The glow at the end of her wand intensified, but she held back and replied. "The… the one with the least bad stuff."

"Rape of a four, seven, nine, and ten year old child; murder of those same children after he'd finished as well as murdering the parents that he forced to watch, and imperiused them to partake in the sexual assault; and several cases of bribery." He wasn't lying either, and both Tonks and Hermione both looked ill. Tonks' wand finally dropped to his side and Harry nodded thankfully. "I do things that are illegal, but I do consider it for the betterment of the world. The reason I'm telling you all this is because I'm not going to stop. If there's a person out there that is bad enough I'll kill them no matter what your objections are. You could beg and plead for me to turn that person over to the authorities, and I wouldn't listen. If you're going to be with me, you need to accept this side of my life and who I am."

Both witches were silent for several very long seconds, until Tonks finally spoke in a mere whisper. "How many?"

"Directly _and_ indirectly?"

"Both," she replied after a moment, foreboding in her voice.

"Two thousand."

Both women jerked their heads up to stare at him in horror and he shrugged. "Those Neo-Nazis I told Hermione about yesterday have an induction ritual of raping and then killing a Jewish child under ten years old. There are one hundred members. I ordered my team in Germany to assassinate every single one of them. You said _both_ indirectly and directly, and I've done a lot of ordering assassinations."

The horror dampened slightly, and this time it was Hermione that spoke. "W-well how many have you k-killed directly?"

People who killed and said they didn't know how many were lying. You counted every single one, and especially Harry didn't have the mental capacity to forget a single kill. "By my own hands I have killed fifty people."

They both blanched at the figure. "But how? How can you do it? You're taking a life away, who gave you the right to play god?"

Harry stared almost pityingly at Hermione. "You really don't get it, do you? Perhaps Tonks can help you get your head around it… if she's any good at history." He turned his attention to the woman in question and cocked his head to the side. "How many Death Eaters were convicted during the First War?"

Tonks took a second to gather herself before she could think of anything but the fact that the young boy in front of her who had been so nice had killed. "Um, well it's not really public knowledge, but a lot. Around five hundred or so I think."

"Right," Harry nodded, "and do you know how many were put in prison?"

She shook her head in the negative and Harry turned to Hermione with a raised eyebrow. She shrugged hesitantly, but threw out a guess. "Four hundred?"

"Lower."

She looked baffled; apparently she'd thrown out her lowest guess. "Um, three hundred and fifty?"

"Still lower. Tonks?"

"Two hundred?" Hermione looked at her with surprise at guessing so low, but jerked her head to Harry with complete and utter shock on her face when he shook his head.

"Still lower."

"O-one hundred?"

"Getting warm."

"F-fifty?"

"Close enough," Harry admitted, "you were seven off. Forty three Death Eaters were imprisoned. Of those forty three, thirty of them were out of Azkaban in less than two months instead of receiving their life sentences."

Both women gaped, and Harry shrugged. "And the Death Eaters have an induction quite like the Neo-Nazis did – which is where another three hundred of my indirect kills comes from: Death Eaters. Can you see why I do what I do now? This whole society is corrupt. The Minister is taking bribes from a Death Eater; the Undersecretary is a bigot; purebloods solely reside on the Wizengamot; Death Eaters and criminals walk free with a few gold coins in the right pockets while innocent men rot in Azkaban. My Godfather is one of them."

"Harry-"

Tonks cut herself off when Tonks moved to interrupt. "He is innocent, I have proof of it. But Fudge is too proud, so I'll be going into Azkaban and breaking him out over Christmas. I wonder if he'll like his present? A nice, warm, clean bed, a hot bath, and all the food he wants. And no Dementors either."

"Y-you're going to break…" Hermione trailed off when she realized just how absurd the question was, and Harry nodded appreciatively at her.

"You'll learn soon enough that I only fight for rightful justice. Sure it's cruel justice in most cases, but it's the right thing to do. Nobody else is going to do anything."

"How Dark are you?"

Harry turned slowly to Tonks and gave a humourless chuckle. "The only person to have felt my full aura and live is Rose. We were making love at the time… and it still shocks me that she accepted me after she felt it. I suppose it's because she'd known me for years and knew that I was a nice guy underneath it all… but chances are you'll nearly, if not definitely, piss yourself with fear. I was in an immense pleasure during sex with Rose, so I think it was calmer and more agreeable." Both girls blushed, but nodded after a moment. Harry sighed and closed his eyes. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

He cut his tattoo's hold on his aura by half, and then opened his eyes to see the reaction of Tonks and Hermione. They were shaking in complete fear, horror in their eyes, and Harry could see both of them reaching for their wands. He knew that it wasn't to aim at him, but rather themselves. People unaccustomed to Dark auras as powerful and pitch-black as his often acted to try and stop the exposure by offing themselves, and Harry most certainly didn't want that to happen to the ladies in front of him. He resealed the power into the magical dimension within the ink on his arm and both Hermione and Tonks gasped as they were released. They fell to the ground shaking and staring at him terrified, and Harry sighed before reaching into his pocket and pulling out two vials of potion; placing it on the desk in front of them. "Calming potion," he explained, "and it's safe. The oath is still in effect."

It took them nearly a minute for them to gain enough trust in him to take the offered potions, but as soon as they ingested them their expressions immediately softened and they stopped shaking. "I can only theorize," he told them, "that in some way intercourse or my aura realizing I have strong feelings for somebody makes it comforting to them. Rose found my aura… cute." Both the witches in front of him looked at him as if he was mad and he shrugged. "It hugged us as we held each other. I feel friendship for both of you, and I will not allow that to develop any further until, or if, Rose tells me to give you a chance." They stared at him for a moment and Harry cracked a small smile. "That was half of my aura, by the way."

He walked out of the room before they could actually ask or say anything further, and started walking towards Potions. It was his first class with Snape for the year, and despite the fact he was essentially safe from the foul git he wasn't looking forward to it. He had no idea why Dumbledore had put Gryffindors and Slytherins together in arguably the most dangerous subject, but put it down to the fact that he was almost certainly senile. Harry realized within five minutes of the lesson beginning that Snape had found a loophole in his oath; he attacked Harry through Hermione. She shouldn't have even been there, but had decided to join Harry as she had her first period free; to get a head start on the next lesson. Within seconds she had lost points for being an 'insufferable know-it-all', and by the time the half-way mark came and went she was nearly in tears with the abuse she was suffering. Ron Weasley was loving the fact that the girl who had stolen 'his mate' was getting her dues, and Harry saw his smirk and heard his murmured insults to Hermione; making her eyes water as she sniffled quietly.

He couldn't see those tears fall, and with a low, dark growl in the back of his throat he summoned several very dangerous ingredients into Ron's boiling cauldron. It was already a mess, and likely highly toxic, but with the crushed porcupine quills, dragon blood, and the fluid of an Erumpent horn… well the result was catastrophic. Everybody had precisely two seconds warning in the form of a dangerous hissing, and Harry immediately jerked his wand into his hand before yelling, "Argenti clypeus!" Immediately a solid silver dome encompassed every single student bar Ronald Weasley and Seamus Finnegan, and behind the opaque shield Harry heard a massive explosion before blood-curdling screams of agony. He had to stifle his smirk of justice served, and he dropped the shield before immediately casting a venting spell to get rid of the toxic fumes.

Ronald Weasley and Seamus Finnegan were in almost indescribable amounts of pain. The explosion itself had torn the skin from their bodies and burned a fair majority of the skin that hadn't been atomized or shredded. The damage was twofold however; they had also inhaled the fumes of the resulting explosion, and acid was slowly eating away inside their lungs. Admittedly he'd thought Snape would have vented the area immediately after the explosion, but he seemed somewhat too shocked to actually have thought to do anything but stare in morbid fascination. A second later however, Snape burst into activity and levitated the pair out of the room as he sprinted towards the hospital wing.

In the confusion and disarray Hermione had finally burst into tears, and Harry strode across to her before pulling her into a firm embrace. Despite the fact that she was terrified of him she clutched at his shirt to make sure he didn't pull away, and Harry just held her head into his chest and gently stroked his hand through her hair as he cooed softly to her and rocked slightly from side to side. All the Gryffindors were looking at him in shock, and several Slytherins looked murderous. Draco opened his mouth to speak, but collapsed to the floor groaning when Harry sent a minor wandless kicking charm at his crotch. Hermione slowly calmed and Harry gently pulled away before conjuring a hanky and wiping the tears gently from her cheeks. "I told you not to listen to the crap anybody sprouts, Hermione," he remanded her softly so that only she could hear, "because they're wrong. You're a wonderful person, and you're smart – not a know it all. Not many people know the difference."

She searched his eyes for any vestige or hint of a lie, but then gave a watery smile and nodded again before pulling him into a softer hug. "Thank you." Everybody around them was making themselves scarce, and Harry was vaguely grateful for that fact – especially when Hermione spoke again. "Does it make me a bad person that I enjoyed their agony?"

Harry chuckled and shook his head. "No. Though I am surprised you're even letting me touch you."

He could almost feel the blush on her face despite the fabric separating them. "I want to experience what Rose did with you. I'm afraid, but I know that you wouldn't deliberately hurt me." She stopped for a moment and then pulled away chewing her lip adorably. "I'll need time."

Harry nodded agreeably and smiled. "You have until the beginning of the Christmas holidays to decide; the same as Tonks. I would appreciate it if you would pass that along to her, as well as an apology that I scared her so badly. I think she took it a lot harder than you did. She's grown up with stories of her aunt Bellatrix Lestrange being dark and thus insane and evil, and I don't blame her for acting as she did."

Hermione nodded and smiled as she finally broke fully away from his touch. "I'll tell her that… but please don't be offended if we don't speak to you for a while. I- we just need time to think all of this over. It's huge – especially for me. I'm only eleven, even if I am smart."

Harry smiled, "Fair enough."

After classes had finished at three o'clock Harry kindly asked if Hogwarts would provide false information to Dumbledore to inform the man that he was still in the castle while he snuck out. The One-Eyed-Witch passage took him past the wards, and a moment later he apparated away from the medieval castle. He arrived in the entrance foyer of his London manor and smiled slightly when he saw a few of Rose's coats already hung by the door as well as a few pairs of shoes. As he advanced further into the house her touch became even more evident.

He'd never really used the manor before, and the last time he'd been there was to look around when it was on sale. Whereas before it had been devoid of any real presence, there were now fresh flowers from the back garden resting in vases around the room. Rose's personal effects were set up; some clothes hung over chair-backs; the slight smell of perfume wafted from the door to her bedroom – their bedroom. He slowly moved towards it, and smiled when he pushed the door open. He couldn't help but chuckle. She had changed the room's walls to pink, but he had to admit that it had a certain appeal. The feature wall was coloured pitch-black, and the other walls were in a light, rose-like pink. He thought it appropriate considering the woman that lived here.

He waved his hand at the black wall and gave a small smile when life-like, animated paintings of roses spread across its surface; the blood-red petals contrasting mesmerizingly against the black. "Harry?" came a disbelieving voice from behind him, and he turned around with a warm smile. Rose stood in the doorway looking shocked to see him there, and he gave a small chuckle as he motioned around. "I'm glad to see you're-"

He didn't have time to finish his sentence, as his lips were quite suddenly occupied with Rose's. He stayed shocked for nary a second however, and within a second had thrown himself into the kiss with reckless abandon. It took a lot to make Harry lose control, and it shocked him to the core that a woman he had been 'together' with for virtually a couple of hours had managed it. After several minutes they parted, and Rose allowed herself to finally fall to her knees as her strength left her. Both panted furiously as their foreheads rested against each other, and Rose finally opened her warm, but confused chocolate eyes to look into his deep emerald. "Why are you here?"

"I-" he stopped himself, and then thought seriously about the question for a moment. It was true that he just wanted to see her face again; hear her voice; indulge in her presence and touch, but at the same time there was something more. He wanted to apologize again in person and reassure her that he would never cheat on her; that was a given, but something else was tugging at him. She could see his confusion and allowed him the time to gather his thoughts and create an answer, and his mind whizzed along at a million miles an hour trying to come up with just what it was missing. It took nearly a minute, and then it hit him like a ton of bricks. His eyes widened and he actually gasped when he realized just what it was. Rose looked worriedly at him, and he stared at her in shock. "I'm in love with you."

Rose's eyes widened to match his, and she collapsed back onto her bum. "Y-you love me? But… but four days ago you said that you just cared for me a lot… how can you love me?"

He shook his head, "I don't know… but I do. I-I don't know how this happened."

He sat down too, his legs shaking a little too much to be any use in propping him up, and he stared across at his twenty year-old lover. She returned his stare, and shook her head after a moment. "I-but what about H-Hermione and Tonks?" He could see the frustration that flickered across her face at the two names, and understood.

"I don't love them. I'm not falling in love with them. They're friends at most, Rose. I would only allow myself to get attached if you let me." He looked up again, his eyes pleading. "Forgive me?"

She searched him for any signs of deception, and when she found none she smiled and nodded with a small blush. "I forgive you… and I love you too."

His shoulders sunk with relief, and he crawled over to Rose before pushing her back onto the plush carpet and kissing her.

Life was good once again.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Just a warning, this story is going to get darker. People are going to get hurt. So far I've been establishing relationships, setting the scene for Hogwarts and how Harry acts, and getting things settled. Next chapter is quite nice overall, but when chapter 9 hits... things start getting more dangerous, darker, and involved. Still, I hope you all like it!**

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Albus Dumbledore had been rather shocked when Harry Potter hadn't told him to fuck off after suggesting he go back to the Dursleys for Christmas, but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Harry James Potter was an enigma. One second he could be laughing and playing pranks, and the next he could be scarily cold and ruthless – as was demonstrated one night at the Slytherin table. Draco Malfoy had once again overstepped his bounds by calling Harry a mudblood and freak lover, and Dumbledore hadn't even seen the raven-haired preteen move. All he saw was Draco keeling over clutching at his groin; his eyes rolling back in his head as the pain overwhelmed his consciousness. The next second Harry had gone back to teasing Neville Longbottom, whom he had befriended in late September; his face full of mirth.

From the class reports he was just as mysterious. In charms he was devastatingly intelligent and in potions he created improved recipes without breaking a sweat, but in transfiguration Harry seemed to play around – more often than not frustrating McGonagall to the point of tearing at her hair out at the roots. Opinions likewise varied on the young man. Severus thought he was an arrogant little brat just like James Potter, which was not at all unexpected; Flitwick thought he was a prodigy and a delightful young man; McGonagall thought he was more infuriating than all the Marauders combined, but overall a good kid; Professor Bins didn't care; and Quirrel thought the young boy was average and showed no real aptitude for his subject.

This was very odd, considering how well he'd dueled on the first night.

Dumbledore put his feet up on his desk and peered down at his vibrant yellow socks with pink-speckled turtles on them as he sucked on a lemon drop. Yes, Harry James Potter was a mystery, though it still remained to be seen whether he was a good or bad one.

While Dumbledore was thinking about Harry, the young man himself was reading a Dark Arts book and mumbling the incantations under his breath. Hermione and Tonks sat opposite talking about household charms and bigotry of the wizarding world, and Neville was engrossed in a very rare tome on Herbology that Harry had lent him. Neville wasn't at all surprised that Harry was learning the Dark Arts when he'd discovered that little fact, and in fact asked Harry if he could perhaps teach him a few things. Harry had been surprised at first, but had readily agreed when he realized that another person was accepting his darker nature – though the young Longbottom had no idea just how dark Harry was.

As for the two young women opposite Harry, they were finally back on speaking terms with him. Hermione had been correct when she said it might take some weeks for them to come to terms with everything, but she'd also been right when she'd said that she was sure they wouldn't think any less of him. Tonks had kidnapped him one night and demanded he explain just why he was so dark, and that he answer all of his questions, and Harry had reluctantly agreed with a few conditions. While her, and indeed most of the people that showed up to his Occlumency lessons that Lady Hogwarts herself had helped keep secret, had good shields in the little time they had been practicing, they had only just managed to create simple domes around their minds.

For a Master Legilimens like Snape or Dumbledore it would take under five seconds to break in to most minds and pillage their thoughts and memories, and so Harry had refrained from answering some questions that would allude to his true age and how he knew so much. He'd sat down with Hermione at a later date to do the same, and had been immensely amused when she'd pulled out a piece of parchment that had nearly one hundred questions listed on its surface. He'd teased her mercilessly for the following two days, much to her embarrassment. They had agreed to stop being overly affectionate with him, and Harry appreciated that they respected his wishes – but he wouldn't deny them hugs or pecks on the cheeks.

When they arrived at King's Cross he found himself on the receiving end of two very firm hugs, and smiled as he hugged his two friends back. He promised to write them about visiting, eliciting dual looks of excitement tinged with blushes and nervousness, and then turned to say farewell to Neville. They shook hands in a very manly manner, and Neville grinned confidently as he walked back to his grandmother Augusta, who looked appropriately shocked at just how much Neville had changed. Harry turned away before she could see his smirk; he'd always begrudged the old bint because of how she put Neville down, and he'd made very sure that the young man he was proud to call friend knew he was appreciated and was worth something. Neville was no longer a young boy to be trifled with – especially as Harry had taken an aura imprint and gone… visiting down Knockturn to get his friend a wand properly attuned to him.

He retreated to a dark corner before apparating away, and he arrived with a nearly silent pop in the hallway of the Dursley household. Both Petunia and Vernon were off work because their 'precious Diddikums' had Christmas holidays, and Harry found all three sitting at the dinner table eating. He smirked when they all froze and paled, and he waved his hand airily. "Oh don't mind me, _dear family_, I was just dropping in to make sure that our arrangement still stands, and to inform you that I won't be hanging around for the holidays. I'll be living at my manor in London instead."

Vernon's mouth dropped open, and Petunia's lips puckered with furious envy. "Since when did you get a manor _freak_," the former hissed, and quickly found himself blasted into the wall with a wave of Harry's hand. Petunia shrieked at the display of magic, and Dudley's chicken drumstick had halted half-way to his mouth as he stared fearfully at his cousin.

"Since I had a few billion pounds to burn," Harry commented icily, "no thanks to you. And no, you're not getting a single cent, because you're already getting paid to 'take care of me', which in my mind translates to doing whatever the hell I say. If anybody comes to check on me then simply mutter the words 'visitor for Harry' under your breath, am I understood?" After glaring and receiving terrified nods in return he broke out into a grin. "Wonderful."

He apparated out and was sure Petunia had fainted at the sight. All thoughts of the low-life, abusive little worms that were his blood-relatives disappeared when he arrived truly home. He'd taken to paying weekly visits to the manor, and to Rose, and had fallen in love with both – though the former more slowly. Rose was a ray of sunshine in his usually-dull days; full of life and an unfulfillable sense of awe about the world around her. One Saturday he'd snuck out of the castle and taken her out on their very first date, and had acquired a portkey to Egypt for the occasion. The image of her staring at the Pyramids of Giza would forever be burned into her mind. To Muggles they were eroded and ancient-looking, but that was only due to the wards that had been placed over it. When she caught sight of the pure-gold pyramids her entire face had lit up with wonder and amazement, and a beautiful smile had broken onto her face.

He had managed to bribe one of the locals into letting them up to the top, and the couple had made love as sunrise had broken over the horizon. It had seemed too romantic to be true; something out of a corny romance novel, but it was real. It was something that had solidified their relationship into something unbreakable. Harry knew that people weren't supposed to fall in love as they had; so frantically fast and so hard and deeply, but it had happened. He was scared, but he shared that emotion with Rose, who felt much the same. Both had been starved of love in their lives, and both of their lives had been riddled with hardship. That fact coupled with the knowledge that they both truly loved each other as much as they did helped them get past that small stage of fear and break into a new phase that gave them complete, unrestricted trust to one another.

As Rose was learning the 'true' version of Occlumency, and had a Master Legilimens and Occlumens training her one-one-one, she had mental shields nearly as advanced as his own – albeit lacking the huge amounts of offensive traps that he'd amounted in the years he'd been alive. When he'd told her about who he truly was she had been disbelieving for only a moment, and had then listened quietly as he told her about his entire life; the betrayals from those he considered his best friends; the hatred he'd held; the path he had been going down; the magic he held and knew… everything. She had been appalled that he was thinking of beginning a relationship with the very woman that had tried to imprison him and interrogate him for knowledge, but Harry explained that the Hermione in this timeline was not like the Hermione in the previous one. Of course that was in no small part due to him, but he considered what he had done as saving her. He had been delighted and relieved when she had supported what he'd done to the people he'd killed and tortured.

He toed off his shoes at the door, kicked them into place beside Rose's knee-high boots, and then padded into the manor proper. He smiled when the homely smell of coffee and food reached his nostrils and then followed the scent up the stairs where he walked into the kitchen to see Rose humming happily away in the kitchen to some soft music in the background; dancing gracefully from pan to oven to island bench. He leaned in the doorway with a soft smile and watched her work, and several seconds later Rose seemed to sense him; turning around with a wide smile. "Harry!" He laughed and walked right into her hug, and squeezed her tightly. She pulled away after a moment and kissed him solidly on the lips, and he once again delighted in her familiar taste of subtle spice. "I missed you," she muttered happily as she broke the kiss, and he smiled before nuzzling her nose with his own.

"I missed you too love." She beamed at him before standing once more, and Harry moved to one of the chairs that looked into the kitchen so that he could watch her work. The difference in their height was something that annoyed him slightly, because he hated feeling so childish that she actually had to bend down or outright crouch to be on the right level to kiss or embrace him properly, but it was a small setback that would be remedied in a few years – possibly earlier if he had his way. For the first time in his life he had time. "Have you made a decision on the Christmas party?"

She turned her head over her shoulder and Harry couldn't help but follow the way her silken red hair cascaded fluidly off her shoulders and fell down her back. She smirked slightly when she saw his expression but nodded. It was no secret that he loved her hair. "Your comment about my cousin was eventually the thing that swayed me. Suzuki-sensei told me that it was 'residual childhood resentment'… I told her that it was just for shits and giggles." Harry snorted and she cringed. "As you obviously well know… she doesn't take things like that very well."

"First time I swore in the previous timeline she sparred me until I fell unconscious. What was your damage?"

Her cringe intensified. "She apparated me to the top of Everest and made me run on a treadmill for nearly an hour."

Harry stared and then gave a small, "Wow… you must've caught her in a really bad mood."

Rose just nodded, shivering and shaking her head to dispel the bad memories. "Anyways, I've invited pretty much everyone, including my aunt and uncle, as well as _Tiffany_." Harry smirked at how she virtually hissed that name out. She was going to get her vengeance finally, and although it wasn't very 'dark', he knew it would be immensely satisfying for her. From what he'd been told her cousin was almost like her version of Dudley, just without the physical abuse and added mental. "I was thinking Christmas Eve at first… but I want to share my Christmas with you." His expression softened and he leaned over to take her hands in his with a warm smile. She blushed, but a matching smile was on her face as well. "So I invited them over tomorrow. They should be arriving at around six."

Harry smiled and nodded, and she squeezed his hands before moving over to the oven and pulling out the garlic bread she had been baking. Harry moved around to cut it up as she dished the spaghetti and bolognaise sauce, and carried a basket of the bread over to the table. She placed the two plates next to each other and they sat side-by-side; Harry's shoulder brushing her side due to their height difference. Neither really cared; just so long as they had some form of contact. "So when are Tonks and Hermione coming over," Rose asked casually, and Harry swallowed before answering. "Well Christmas is in three days, so they'll be spending time with their families. Maybe on New Year's?"

Rose had gotten over the feeling of betrayal at Harry wanting other women in their relationship, and no longer looked irritated at the mention of either Tonks or Hermione. Harry was indescribably relieved. She nodded thoughtfully as she chewed. "I think that would be fine… but I still want my kiss at midnight."

He laughed and nodded before nudging her playfully in the side. "I wouldn't deprive you of that in a million years."

They finished their meal in a comfortable, warm silence, and cleaned up in perfect tandem; working around each other like it was second nature; a side effect of the modified Occlumency scheme and the fact that the pair loved each other. Their magic was actually in tune, and in turn Rose had become a little darker while Harry had become a little lighter. They were still on completely opposite ends of the spectrum, but their magics were harmonized and accepted each other without question. The pair finally finished up and retreated to their room; leaving a trail of clothes behind them.

The next morning the pair got up early to get ready for the gathering they would be holding that night. Dobby helped decorate under the instruction of Rose, while Harry went out to the 'Forbidden Shed' which housed a fully-stocked potions lab as well as a complete gym including a running track. For the morning he brewed a complex aging potion he'd been meaning to get around to for some time, and once it was done he waited impatiently for it to cool. With a silent toast to the American that had created the potion in the future he slugged it back, disrobed, cast silencing spells, and then begun screaming in agony.

He could feel his bones forcefully lengthening; his skin growing at a rapid pace to properly keep up with the change; and his muscles developing as if the devil himself was telling them to bulk up and pick up the pace. The change took nearly ten minutes, and by the end of it Harry James Potter was lying on the ground wheezing and panting as if he'd just run a marathon. He threw off his glasses now they were unnecessary and gulped in huge draughts of air into his parched throat. "Je-sus," he grumbled to himself after a moment, "that hurt like a bitch."

He groaned as he stood up and quickly pushed a prepared overlay into his subconscious. It immediately deleted the previous 'settings' his brain had, and he found himself standing steady instead of wobbling around like a drunkard as he would have done without it. He looked at the mirror he'd set up nearby and grinned at the man looking back at him. He stood at five foot ten, and his body was not that of a boy. His body was that of a twenty three year-old male; a slightly younger version of the man he'd been before the time-travel. He was ecstatic that he was back to full-strength, and he could feel the magic bursting through his internal channels.

He turned to the pool centered in the middle of the running track and lifted his hand, and his grin widened to almost maniacal proportions when the water in the pool rose until it was hovering in a suspended cube above the concrete hole. In his eleven year-old body the strain of such wandless magic would have torn into his being and damaged the magic channels, but all he could feel now was just a smooth, perfectly controlled flow of magic. He dropped his control and the water fell back into the pool; becoming turbulent as it kicked up, and Harry called Dobby. The House-Elf immediately answered his call, and then promptly fainted. Harry chuckled as he wrapped a towel around his waist and cast a wandless enervate at the poor creature.

"Master Harry?"

Harry laughed and nodded, "Yes Dobby, it's me. This is what I really look like, okay?"

Dobby nodded furiously, his large ears slapping comically against the side of his head, and Harry stifled a grin. "Very odd Master Harry… but it suits you."

Harry bowed slightly in appreciation. "Thank you. Now would you please be able to fetch me a smart-casual set of clothes?" Dobby nodded and popped away to get them, and reappeared a moment later. The moment Harry touched the material they resized to fit; a feature Harry had paid handsomely for. Moments later he was completely dressed once more and incinerated his cheap Hogwarts robes with a flick of his hand. "Now Dobby," he asked, "how best do you think I should approach my dear Rose…"

Dobby grinned.

Ten minutes later a knock came on the front door and Rose looked across from where she was conjuring some Christmas-themed snowmen in the foyer. She frowned when she looked at the clock, as they weren't expecting anybody to the best of her knowledge, but shrugged and walked towards the front door before opening it. Immediately she was flung back after being the victim of a blasting hex, and she rolled back onto her feet before drawing her wand and beginning a highly offensive spell-chain that was meant to kill with maximum efficiency. Avada Kedavras, Crucios, and a swathe of other dark curses burst from her wand at the intruder whose hood was covering their face, and she was shocked when the green curse curved around the man.

When the intruder pulled the hood off she gaped. Harry stared back at her with twinkling emerald eyes, and a moment later 'oofed' as Rose crashed into him. "Harry! You idiot! You had me scared to death!"

He looked at where the killing curse had impacted and held back his witty retort about how she'd nearly _driven him_ to death. "Just testing your reflexes. Very, very good by the way."

She looked up at his far-deeper voice and gaped when she looked at him in full. Her hand rose of its own accord to gently trail down his lightly-stubbled cheek, and she shook her head in amazement as her tongue darted out and licked her lips. "How?"

"A permanent aging potion," he murmured as he finally looked _down_ at her with a smile, "this is what I looked like at twenty three. I couldn't have your family seeing you dating an eleven year-old now, could I?"

"Perma- but that means that you've-"

"Shortened my life by twelve years, yes," he agreed as he cut her off, "but I'm in the process of making a philosopher's stone so it really doesn't matter." She gaped at him, but before she could protest or make any other comment Harry was kissing her frantically and dragging her towards their bedroom. Ten minutes later Dobby entered the manor and immediately turned on his heel and walked back out to do some gardening. Judging by the screams and yells of ecstasy both Master Harry and Mistress Rose were very much enjoying the effects of the potion Harry had brewed.

They emerged from their bedroom nearly eight hours later, freshly washed and dressed, but Rose was walking very funny even though she had a dreamy, slightly vacant expression on her face. Harry had a smile worthy of Gilderoy Lockhart on his dial. Harry fetched his lover a pain-potion and healing tonic to take care of her discomfort, and she rewarded him with a tenderly soft kiss as thanks for his consideration. During the one hour remaining until their guests arrived Harry warded the 'Water Floor' so that nobody would go poking around, and activated the wards on the 'shed' outside as well. Harry was just heading into the kitchen to check on the roast chickens and pork that Dobby was taking care of when the doorbell rang, and he looked to Rose with a wink before disappearing; calling over his shoulder, "I'll make an impressive entrance, yeah?"

She laughed and shook her head as she approached the door, and opened it with a smile. She found her grandparents staring in awe, and laughed before inviting them inside and taking their coats. Harry ambled out a moment later; his emerald-silk dress-shirt rolled up at the sleeves and a warm smile on his face. "Ah, Mister and Missus Patterson, it's a pleasure to meet you," he greeted as he shook the man's hand and kissed the woman's knuckles, and he received dual smiles in return.

"Please, just call me Rodger, and this is my wife Muriel."

Harry smiled and nodded, "Well then I must insist you both call me Harry. Welcome to my home."

Rodger looked around and gave a chuckle before nodding. "And what a beautiful home." Harry nodded his thanks as he wrapped an arm loosely around Rose's waist, and she smiled up at him before snuggling slightly closer. The couple got knowing looks and approving nods from the elderly pair, but Rodger continued on in the same vein of thought without commenting on it. "Rose didn't tell us much about you, what do you do?"

Harry motioned for them to follow and led them through to the ground-floor living area. "I'm a private contractor," he explained easily, "and I take government contracts. I'm afraid most of the things I do are classified, but it's centered on tracking down threats to innocents and bringing them to justice."

Both Muriel and Rodger looked impressed, and the latter voiced his amazement. "An incredible achievement for one so young. You must be doing well for yourself," he said as he motioned around and Harry gave a chuckle and a nod.

"I can't deny that," he said as he helped Muriel into a chair before moving to sit next to Rose opposite the elderly couple, "but then again it isn't easy work either. I've had to do things I haven't liked more than once, though it was necessary."

Rodger nodded understandingly. He'd been a soldier in the Second World War and had seen the looks and movements of militaries. Near the end of his assignment he and his battalion had worked alongside a unit of what would later be known as the New Zealand SAS. The man sitting opposite him and who had his arm wrapped around his granddaughter's waist was a seasoned, professional, and ruthless killer – but Rodger also knew just from his actions so far that he needn't be worried about the safety of his son's daughter; both were clearly smitten with each other. He idly wondered just how his other son's daughter would react to Harry, but pushed it aside.

The doorbell rung once again and Rose pecked Harry on the cheek before standing up and heading to see who it was. "So do you travel a lot?"

Harry smiled and nodded, but there was a clear sadness in his eyes. "I do. Currently the Crown has me working on threats against schools, so I'm away for most of the school year. It's a seven year contract, but they're nice enough to give me time off in the weekends to fly back and see Rose."

Rodger nodded and was about to continue the conversation when more murmured voices came from the hall, and a moment later four people entered alongside Rose. She smiled at him, and he grinned back as her grandparents stood and greeted the new arrivals. Finally Rose pulled Harry over and smiled. "Harry, these are my Great Uncles and Aunties." Harry shook hands and warmly greeted Frank, Horace, Elizabeth, and Catherine, and quickly offered them seats before asking if anybody wanted a drink. Both he and Rose made the rounds, and Harry chuckled at the reaction of Rodger when he brought out a bottle of 40 year-old whiskey. "Bloody hell Harry, you must really want my approval!"

Harry liked all of Rose's family so far, and they all seemed to adore him according to Rose, who pulled him aside on one trip into the kitchen. Slowly the place started filling up, until at seven the lounge was well and truly comfortably packed. Twenty three people had arrived so far; from great aunts and uncles to the young children of other cousins. Tiffany and her mother and father, however, had yet to show. Harry asked Rose about it when they opened the doors to the back porch and she rolled her eyes.

"What you need to understand is that Eileen, Tiffany's Mum, and Mark, her dad, think that the little brat farts rainbows." Some lemonade shot out of Harry's nostrils as he laughed in the middle of a sip, and he chuckled as he pulled out a hanky to clean himself up. When Rose finished chuckling she continued as she motioned for the guests to come outside and have a look around. Gasps and murmurs of appreciation came from everybody as they filed out, and Harry smiled when he saw several of the kids shoot out and start running around on the lawn. "Eileen thinks the world of Tiffany; treats her like a princess, which is probably half the reason she's so incredibly up herself. Mark's just whipped by the both of them, so she's 'daddy's little girl'. They'll turn up late to make an entrance-"

The sound of the doorbell just reached their ears. "Somebody at the door for you Rose," called one of her cousins who was still sitting in the lounge, and Harry turned to his love with a wry smile.

"Speak of the devil, no?"

Rose looked excited and worried at the same time, and Harry wrapped her in a hug as the doorbell rang again. "I'm on your side love, and from what I can see most of your family is too. Go on and greet them and we'll proceed to make them all go green with jealousy."

She grinned and pecked him as the doorbell became more insistent, and called over her shoulder as she walked inside, "You know just what to say sweetheart!"

That got some chuckles from the men within earshot, and some approving smiles from the women. He blushed slightly and walked over to where Frank, Horace, and Rodger were all nursing whiskeys. It was the first time that the two former had seen him walk and move, and they both came to the same conclusion as their brother; the man walking towards them was one hell of a warrior. They all greeted him warmly and brought him comfortably into their conversation about the war, and although Harry couldn't speak from experience in regards the Second World War he was actively involved in talking about how civilians would never understand the horrors.

Harry peered out the corner of her eye when he saw movement from the porch, and stifled a slight wince when she saw the infamous Tiffany and her parents. Just as the men surrounding Harry could tell that he was a trained warrior, Harry could tell that Tiffany was a natural bitch. Her face held a veneer of superiority and haughtiness, though Harry could tell without even resorting to legilimency that she was already supremely irritated at the fact that her cousin was living in such a place. He looked her subtly over and had to admit that she was quite attractive; she stood at five foot seven and had tanned legs that would undoubtedly garner her attention wherever she went. Her breasts were quite large, though not quite as big as Rose's, and he stifled a smirk when he noticed with a small flicker of his magic that she was using a push-up bra. When he looked to Rose he saw that already she was starting to shrink into her shell and immediately moved to put a stop to it. He excused himself from his three compatriots, who all nodded knowingly and approvingly, and walked steadily towards his girlfriend; depositing his lemonade glass on the bottom of the banister leading up to the porch.

When Tiffany saw him coming her entire face virtually lit up with hunger, and when she saw him approaching her direction she took it to be a sign that he was coming to greet her like the important person she thought she was. She opened her mouth to begin flirting, and froze with a shocked look on her face when he breezed right past her and grabbed Rose around the waist before twirling her expertly around, eliciting a giggle of happy surprise, and then leaning down to peck her sweetly on the lips; lingering a moment longer than strictly necessary. She beamed up at him when he pulled away, and he sent a small legilimency probe at her with his feelings for her bundled up inside. Her smile only brightened when it impacted on her rock-solid shields and exploded, and she hugged herself to his side as his arm came to rest lovingly around her waist. "Uncle Mark, Auntie Eileen, this is my boyfriend Harry. Harry, my Aunt and Uncle." Harry smiled and shook both their hands, notably not kissing the woman's knuckles as she was sneering lightly at Rose.

It didn't take long for Harry to realize just how much fun the night could be. Eileen stepped forwards slightly and tugged Tiffany with her. They were just close enough for Harry to consider it an intrusion on his personal space, and he held back a small glare. "This is my daughter Tiffany," she introduced almost reverently.

Harry nodded civilly in acknowledgement, and Tiffany's face fell when he didn't move to shake her hand or even offer her a word of greeting. "Well make yourselves at home," he said after a moment's emphasizing the fact he wasn't going to greet Tiffany, "drinks are inside on the table, and feel free to explore the house. The double doors off the foyer are locked however, because that's the Master Bedroom. Feel free to explore anywhere else – though please do be careful in the weights room; I'd rather not have an incident." He got nods in return, but noticed that both Eileen and Tiffany's were quite put off. The pair quickly made haste back into the lounge under the excuse of 'refreshments' while Mark suddenly looked lost without instruction.

Harry led Rose out onto the lawn and sat down in one of the seats underneath the illuminated Great Oak. She immediately made herself at home in his lap and smiled softly as he helped her get comfortable against him. "You know Eileen and Tiff are plotting right now how to steal you away from me, right?"

He laughed and shrugged. "I don't see what good that's going to do them, but it'll make your revenge all the sweeter my love." She chuckled and kissed his exposed collarbone, and he shivered slightly. The entire garden was swathed in a warming ward, so it wasn't the cold, and Rose smirked to herself at the knowledge she could elicit such a response from her love with something so small.

She rolled her eyes when she too shivered when he ran his fingertips lightly underneath the shoulder of her shirt, and felt a small snigger from above. "You're so mature," she grumbled sarcastically, and his snigger turned into a laugh; drawing the attention of everybody for a second, all of whom smiled at the young couple so in love.

"Ah, you love me for it." She didn't deny that. After ten minutes passed Harry and Rose got up, 'coincidentally' at the same time Tiffany and Eileen returned, and Harry cleared his throat before waving to get everybody's attention. "Okay everybody, dinner's served! If you'll follow Rose and me through to the dining room you can dish up and eat wherever you want." Smiles and murmurs of understanding came from around the garden and everybody followed the couple inside. Harry smirked when Rodger, Frank, and Horace flanked both him and Rose, and chuckled along with them when they were out of the angry-Tiffany's earshot.

Gasps came from the majority when they entered the dining room and saw the feast laid out on the long table, and a line started to form as people grabbed a plate, a knife and fork, and begun dishing up whatever they wanted from the sumptuous collection of mouth-watering dishes. Harry nodded to Dobby who was looking proudly at the enthusiasm his 'customers' were showing, and the small elf grinned before disappearing. A few people asked how they'd cooked it all and laid it out because they'd been out in the garden and Harry just grinned with a wink before replying, "One of Santa's best little elves helped me out."

That got laughs, but it was Rose and Harry that were laughing the hardest. If only Rose's family knew. When people started returning to the porch they were shocked to see that tables and chairs had suddenly appeared all over the area, and Harry just grinned as he gave a mysterious wink to the questioning looks. All three of Harry's new elderly comrades along with their wives tried to fill the table before the over-eager Tiffany and co. could make their claim, but the three managed to get the chairs in a nick of time. Harry got apologetic looks from the elderly couples but waved their concerns away with a small smile. "So Harry," Tiffany smiled at him, "I've seen all my family here, where are yours?"

"Mine?" he asked after swallowing a rather hefty mouthful of 150 proof Everclear he'd managed to sneak into his glass, and he shuddered as the furious burn ripped down his throat and into his stomach. "My parents were murdered, and so were my grandparents. Same person too."

The entire table quieted in shock, and Rose rubbed the back of his hand slightly. She knew he'd gotten over their deaths and could talk about it freely, but the tone he used when he spoke about it could easily be misinterpreted as nonchalance when truly it was determination. "Oh… well that's not very nice."

Harry stated at the woman opposite with something akin to disbelief. He shook his head after a moment and slugged back the last of his glass; shuddering once more before wandlessly getting rid of the almost-overpowering smell of alcohol. He needed a _lot_ to get tipsy after the numerous rituals he'd done in this timeline, as they were far more receptive when done as a child, but with the amount he'd consumed he knew he'd be slightly buzzed but have more than a clear enough head to think clearly. "Yeah," Harry agreed as a slight sense of light-headedness hit him, "not very nice at all."

"How long ago was that?" Frank asked carefully and Harry sighed.

"Twenty two years ago. I was one year old at the time when the bastard came into the house. Killed Dad who tried to stop him, and offered to let my mother live if he stepped out of the way to kill me. She refused, and so he shot her dead before turning the gun on me. The next door neighbor was a cop though, and when he heard the shots he ran over with his gun. My parents' murderer bolted when he realized he was about to be caught."

"And he's still out there?" Horace asked in disbelief and Harry nodded as he chewed on a potato.

"Uhuh, and he still has it in for me. He's actually on my team for work at the moment, biding his time until he makes his move. Don't reckon he knows I know who he is though."

Wide eyes came from everybody but Rose, who knew about Quirrel, and Eileen looked shocked. "He's working with you?" she nearly shrieked, "Are you insane? You should tell the police!"

Harry turned to her wryly and pulled a wallet from his pocket that he had made for any operations he undertook in the muggle world. When he opened it everybody stared at the proudly stated MI-5 and Tiffany gaped with a look of complete shock, until her expression turned hungry once more as she batted her eyelids at him.

"Must be amazing working with MI-5. All that secret agent kind of stuff."

"Yeah," he returned dryly, "it was my dream as a kid to be working with my parents' murderer Tiffany, very well thought out there."

She blushed bright red in equal parts humiliation and anger, and Harry caught the smirk on Rose's lips out the corner of his eye. That alone made him want to smile, but he wanted to make the rude little tart sweat. He returned the badge to his pocket and started eating at his chicken as he turned to his other more welcome tablemates. "Now as this is a Christmas party a Christmas dance is obviously mandatory, so I hope you're all up to a bit of dancing – now, now you three," he said as he looked to the three old men with a mock-superior expression, "I don't want you to pop a hip so make sure to take it nice and slow. Perhaps some awkward shuffling – I do have a Zimmer frame for you Frank."

Eileen and Tiffany both winced in expectation of the inevitable blow-up. One of Tiffany's ex-boyfriends had met her Great Uncles and Aunties and had tried to get chummy straight off the bat and that had led to the teen getting chewed out beyond all belief. To both of their shock all three men just laughed and Frank mock-glared at him as a grin twitched at his lips. "I'll show you dancing boy!"

Harry laughed and shrugged, "Whatever you say old man."

Horace laughed and raised his glass a moment in a silent toast. "Not many people are game enough to do that Harry."

Harry shrugged and laughed, "After what us four have been through live life to the fullest right?"

All four raised their glasses and Harry got a quiet but friendly, "Hear hear!" from the three ex-soldiers.

Tiffany looked confused, and inserted her foot quite promptly in her mouth. "What do you mean by that? You're not old enough to-"

She'd crossed the line with the 'you're not old enough' comment. If there was one thing Harry hated it was being treated like a kid, and this vain young woman was so ignorant of the world; so sheltered and pampered by her doting parents that she wouldn't know reality from movies if it slapped her in the face. Harry intended to figuratively cunt-punt it into her. "Little girl," he commented snidely, and watched as her face grew red with anger at being addressed as such; she was nineteen, and how dare this man call her a little girl! "We are referring to having nearly been killed multiple times. Your elders here, who deserve your respect and acknowledgement because without them we all might be speaking German right now, have been in near-death situations more than once. So too have I. I was nearly murdered at one year old, and I've nearly been killed many more times since then.

"And on the other side of the coin, Tiffany, we also know just how easily life can be taken away. Frank, Horace, and Rodger have all killed people with a mere squeeze of their fingers, just as I have." The black-haired girl looked terrified now that she realized that the people sitting opposite had killed, and the sudden want to be with Harry was dampened quite considerably. "So don't assume you know anything about me, or my three brothers-in-arms. Being a 'secret agent' isn't like in the movies. We kill and are killed; we are tortured and have tortured; we walk in the realm of complete, harsh reality without the veneer of peace and security. We'll never see that veneer again. When we walk down the street we're looking at body language to see if there's a threat; when we eat we quickly sniff just a little bit to see if we can smell any poison or additive we don't know; when we sleep we do so lightly so that we can snap upwards at a moment's notice; the most minute of sounds that may be dangerous.

"Ask Rose; she knows I sleep with a knife under my pillow, and my gun is just down beside my bed. I can draw both and have it aimed at a threat in one second, from asleep to wide awake and ready to kill." All three people on the opposite side of the table looked terrified, and Harry shrugged with a small chuckle as he wrapped his arm around Rose's shoulders. All three elderly couples looked respectfully at Harry; the wives of the men having seen their husbands doing precisely what Harry had described, and the men themselves knowing they did it subconsciously.

Rose went willingly into his one-armed embrace, and smiled up at him before looking back across at her terrified cousin, aunt, and uncle. "The thing is Tiffany," she said with triumph barely veiled in her voice, "Harry's more of a man than you'll ever find. You're terrified of what he's done and what he does… but it just makes him a better man. Every moment I spend with Harry is perfect because we both know that we might not see each other ever again once we part. You stared out tonight all snarky and jealous and expecting to steal my Harry away from me, just like I knew you would – just like Harry knew you would." Tiffany jerked her head to look at Harry, and blanched away when she saw the amused expression lying undenying on his face.

Eileen was furious and stood up; her chair groaning across the deck before clattering over. All conversation in the yard stopped, and the furious woman decided to at least try and leave chaos in her wake as she sniffed heartily and dragged her daughter and husband out the door. "My family does not consort with murderers such as you!"

There was a few moments' silence as people turned their attention from the retreating backs of the Fields family to Harry, and the young man shrugged. "I work for the government; apparently they expected it to be like James Bond."

Some chuckles came from his comment as people went back to their dinners, though he did catch several respectful nods aimed in his direction. The tension that had been hanging over the group quickly disappeared now that the elephant in the room was gone, and Rose came fully out of her shell much to the enjoyment of everybody she spoke to. The night ended with the 'outdoor speakers' wafting calm, serene dancing music into the garden, and everybody helped move the tables away to make room for couples to dance. Harry and Rose shared several dances together and a couple with other people – Harry with Muriel and Rose with Rodger predominantly. People started leaving at around eleven, until it was just Harry's three brothers-in-arms and their wives left. Seeing that they were all rather tipsy Harry offered them rooms for the night, and all six gratefully accepted.

As Harry settled down for the night spooning against Rose's back he had the feeling that life was going to take a rather downward spiral sometime quite soon. With all the good things that had been happening something had to give. He shook his head after a moment and buried his head in his lover's blood-crimson hair and drew in her scent; all thoughts saves about her floating away as he sunk into unconsciousness.

He'd take things as they came.


	8. Chapter 8

Harry had never shared a Christmas with just one person he loved. Early in his life, back at Hogwarts during the previous timeline, he had shared a couple with his good friends – but nobody he truly loved. Waking up next to Rose on Christmas morning was almost ethereal. It was as if, just by it being the day it was, everything suddenly hit him all at once; everything good he had in his life. It far outweighed his past one. He had influence worldwide; had truly loyal friends; had money; power; magic above what he'd had even in his past life. He had possessions; the respect of a huge chunk of the student body; was out from underneath Dumbledore's thumb, and had hit Snape with a very dark curse to make him impotent.

Blaize was safe.

But above all else, to his complete shock and surprise, he had found something that he held in far greater standing than all of that. He had a lover; a woman who loved him totally. She knew he killed; knew he was sadistic, merciless, and even cruel in battle; knew of his faults; his darkness… but she loved him. She loved him with all of her heart, and he loved her in just the same way. Not only had she accepted him, but indeed both had changed each other.

He'd told Rose's trainers to give it a break over Christmas, but it didn't stop the inquisitive young woman wanting to learn more magic. Of course the magic she wanted to learn was dark, an in a few cases even pitch-magic, and so Harry had made sure to go on a full-out assault on her mind with the force that such magic corrupted with. Most 'light' witches and wizards were so ably corrupted by the magics that simply fighting in a battle where such spells were employed for an extended period of time could start the decent into darkness, and had to resort to purification rituals to cleanse themselves of the taint. People like Lucius Malfoy were examples of where the magic had had time enough to corrupt, but certain aspects of their psyche had rejected the corruption – if only because they didn't use dark magic in such quantities for it to become overwhelming.

Voldemort was a prime example of what happened when it did. It had warped his body into something inhuman, and in the last timeline when Harry had gutted him, his organs were pure black and pulsed with deep blue magic. It was something truly disgusting that even Harry had felt repulsed – which was saying something. But Rose's shields were infallible – so much so that even when he dosed her with Veritaserum she could lie through her teeth and still defend against his powerful probes. So he'd taught her some high-end dark magic that would appal even some Death Eaters, and she had taken to it like a duck to water.

Likewise she had taught Harry how to truly live; to have fun and to enjoy life. Christopher Erebus was being managed by the Goblins almost solely now, though there were numerous safeguards that meant the Goblins couldn't take advantage of his alternate persona's name. He watched Rose sleep for almost an hour whereupon she slowly awoke, and she smiled lazily up at him; her red-hair crinkled and mussed cutely as it cascaded down across her bare breasts. They greeted one another with almost whispered 'Merry Christmases' and spent the morning lounging about in their sleepwear simply enjoying the fact that they were in love and together. Harry had been shocked when he saw the massive pile of presents that took up nearly half the lounge, as had Rose, but those emotions had turned to warmth and pride respectively when they saw that if was from a lot of the students in the Occlumency Class. Most of them were just token gifts of thanks, but several were very appreciative and generous. When Harry got to Hermione and Tonks' gifts he was surprised to find two from the latter and one from the former – and his eyebrows rose when he saw that Tonks' presents were addressed one to each of them, and Hermione's was addressed to them both.

Rose herself was just as surprised as her boyfriend, and unwrapped her parcel from Tonks with confusion. She gasped when she saw a hair clip that had been sent to her by Tonks, and Harry stared just as she was at the intense emerald resting in it. He leaned over Rose's shoulder to read the note and felt his expression soften.

_Dear Rose._

_I know you've probably heard about me – I'm one of the women that wants to be with your boyfriend Harry. I want you to know, even if Harry's already told you, that I won't make a move on him unless you say so – and it's not his fault. He is one of the first people to be nice to me at Hogwarts even with knowing I'm a metamorph. He is the only one who never asked to see me change, and he's definitely the only one that's told me to just be myself, and called me beautiful when he saw my true form. If you know him well, which will better than me, then you'll know he changes people for the better, and pulls people to him without even meaning to do it._

_I've had boyfriends galore trying to find the right man for me; a man that'll accept me for who I am; who'll enjoy my quirky sense of humour and help me with my goals; and who won't use me for my metamorph abilities. I'd never found a man who I knew would do that until I met Harry. At first it was just a want to have a friend, but after seeing how mature and upstanding he was I want to be with him romantically. I know he's only eleven, and I know it's wrong, but I do… just as you do._

_My uncle Sirius, who Harry assures me is innocent and who he will be breaking out sometime soon, gave this to me as a child. It was the last gift I ever got for him, but I noticed that the emerald is the exact shade of Harry's eyes. You're the woman he loves, and he's made that clear, and so you deserve this as a way to have him with you always. I can only hope that someday in the future you will give me permission to wear something similar so that Harry's always with me._

_I hope we work, Rose, I truly do. I'm not trying to make you feel guilty, but I'll be heartbroken if we don't. I know most people would think of what we're doing as weird, and if we got found out the shit would hit the fan, but I think it could be a good thing. Harry's sat both Hermione and I down and discussed such a relationship, and he's made very compelling points. I've never been with a woman before, but I hope that you are as wonderful as Harry is. I know my hope is unfounded, as Harry would never love a woman who was anything less… but I still hope, because if you're as wonderful as Harry says you are then I know that I can fall in love with you too._

_I look forward to meeting you, even though I'm extra clumsy at the moment because I'm so nervous._

_Hopefully someday yours,_

_Nymphadora (call me Tonks) Tonks._

Harry chuckled slightly at the way she signed off, and looked down at his girlfriend who was fingering the hairclip with a look of surprise on her face. "You said they were nice; they'd have to be for you to like them… but this has me convinced." She looked up at Harry with a look of happy realization. "This could really work."

Harry smiled and nodded, and then picked up his own present from Tonks before unwrapping it. He found one of the Black Ceremonial Daggers he'd owned in the last timeline and smiled at it before reading the note.

_Dear Harry._

_You've probably already read the note I wrote to Rose, so I want you to know I mean everything I said. I know I'm falling in love with you, and I hope someday you can start falling in love with me. With us. _

_Love,_

_Nym._

It was shorter, but most of what she'd had to say had been to Rose. He smiled and put the dagger aside and then reached for Hermione's gift. He handed it to Rose with a small grin to himself when he felt that it was a book, albeit a thin one. Rose took it an unwrapped it, and then gasped when she saw what was inside. Harry's eyebrows shot right up into his hairline when he saw the picture of himself and Rose that had been taken on their first date to Egypt on the cover; both of them laughing and holding onto each other; clear joy in their faces, and then they kissed before turning and waving with undeniable happiness at the camera.

Rose immediately snatched the note and begun reading, having the same thoughts about security that Harry was, but relaxed just as Harry did as they got into the letter.

_Dear Harry and Rose._

_Before you bite my head off it was Harry's Phoenix that got me the picture. He's a bloody git, Harry, you know that?_

Harry laughed aloud at the statement and shook his head; Hermes could indeed be very annoying.

_He blasted onto my desk with the picture in his talons, and he looked rather smug with himself. I assumed that he hadn't asked you for permission to give it to me, and when I told him he bit me. I don't really like him. This photo-book is meant to be for you both, and hopefully someday for all of us._

_But this letter is meant to be about me convincing both of you that letting me into your relationship is a good idea. When I saw that picture of you both I thought it was something out of one of Mum's romance novels she thinks she keeps hidden underneath her bed. They don't have pictures though… and just seeing your faces made me realize that I want that in my life. Rose, Harry's already told me that he won't have sex with me until I'm at least in my fourth year of Hogwarts – although that's completely hypocritical considering he's done it with you, but…_

_See, I'm ranting again. I'm sorry. This letter is really hard for me to write. I know Tonks is writing one quite similar, but she's way older than me. I might be smart but I've never even had a boyfriend, let alone know anything about romance. All I know is that I like Harry, a lot. When I asked Mum how she felt about Dad I realized that I like Harry like that. Mum says that it's love, but I don't know what love is. Harry told me that he didn't know what love was until you showed him Rose, and I want so very much to discover what it is with Harry._

_I will admit I'm scared. I'm eleven, after all – even though I'm as smart as many fourth years. The thing I'm most scared about is you, Rose. I don't mean to be insulting, and it's not that I don't like you – though I didn't at first, and after hearing what Harry had to say about you I don't think I could… but I don't know if I like women. Tonks told me that she's thought about being with you both, and doesn't really mind the concept, but I've always been brought up with the muggle media gently underlying discrimination against gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. _

_I'm afraid of what my parents would think if this worked and they found out. I'd be involved with two adult women while being a minor myself, as well as being with a young man my own age. What would they think of me? I want this to work, I truly do, so, so much, but I wonder if I can do it. I got your letter, Harry, with the invitation for New Years. Mum and Dad have no problem with me staying the night after they heard the neighbourhood you live in. I did some research and I found out just why they were so easy to convince. You have some explaining to do Harry Potter. I told them that your guardians will be supervising so you might want to do something about that just in case they decide to come up to the door to see me off. I almost guarantee they will, if only to catch a glimpse of the inside of your home._

_I feel I've been too unemotional and factual in this letter. I can't help it. I'm so scared I've felt almost ill for the past two days – even on the Hogwarts Express I felt queasy. As the time comes closer for us to meet I feel even more anxious. What if you don't like me Rose? What if you think I'm too much of a bookworm, or if I'm not pretty enough? Or even what if you decide that you don't want Harry being with any other women? I'm not sure I could handle that. I like Harry a lot. He's my best friend in the whole world; the very first friend I've had in my entire life. I know I want something more, even though I'm only eleven. _

_Tonks told me she wants this to work, and she thinks it can. I hope the same. I hope that we can all love each other – be in love with each other, even though everybody would probably hate us for it. I've never really had friends, let alone people who love me romantically before. I know I'd be happy with just one person loving me like that to not care about the hate, but with three… I think I could do anything._

_I want this to work._

_Please like me._

_Hermione._

Harry's heart wrenched when he saw the small tear-marks that were just visible at the last part of the letter, and he felt moisture come unbidden to his eyes. Rose sniffed and wiped at her own eyes, unlike Harry unable to have stopped the tears from breaking over the cusp of her eyelid, and she smiled wetly up at him. Not a hint of jealousy clouded her face, and she leaned into his side with a small, sobbing chuckle. "She said she wasn't very emotional in the letter. She lied."

Harry didn't have anything to say about that, and gently folded the letter back into its envelope. He didn't break the silence, and so was surprised that it was Rose that made the move. If that surprised him, her words shocked him. "I went into my Occlumentic trance last night and didn't do my exercises." He knew what that meant, but listened. "I knew I couldn't lie to myself in there. My mind wouldn't let me. I thought about this whole situation. I had already thought a lot about Tonks joining us, and considered it a possibility, but it was Hermione that worried me. You're twenty three, I'm twenty, and Tonks is eighteen. Hermione's eleven, and I don't care how smart she is. She's a true minor; a mere child. I was afraid that she wasn't mature enough to be in a romantic relationship, and I still don't."

Harry moved to interrupt, but Rose gave him a small glare to keep his comments at bay. "Let me finish." He nodded and she sighed, but a small smile came to her lips. "She isn't mature enough, but with what she said in that letter… I don't think it would take much. I mean I don't really have a problem with the whole age debate; I've seen purebloods betrothed at eleven for Merlin's sake, that, and I made love with you when I thought you were eleven. And saving her from those painfully awkward, shallow relationships that teenagers experience is something I'm all for. The fact that you've said no to penetration until she's in her fourth year at least I agree with – because although Tonks and I may be ready she isn't."

Harry stared at Rose with a slightly slack jaw as what she was saying slowly started to sink in. "Are you…" he trailed off and she nodded with a soft expression on her face.

"I'm saying that you can fall for them. I'm saying that I want this to work just like they do. I think, after lots of thinking about it over the past weeks and months, that I would like to be in love with two more women if they were people as wonderful as you. From their letters I can tell they are. The only thing I can say is that I would not approve of any more women with us – this is it."

Harry nodded with a brilliant smile on his face before engulfing Rose in a tight hug. "Thank you," he whispered, "I promise you won't regret this."

He could feel her smile against the side of his neck, as well as her minute nod. "I know."

The rest of the day they spend relaxing, eating, and getting ready for the night. While other families in the wizarding world, and the muggle world, were gathering with their families and such Harry and Rose were going to be doing something very un-festive like. Sort of. Harry wondered just what the government would think tomorrow. At ten o'clock that night, after making slow, passionate love to each other, both got dressed in their basilisk-hide under-armour before overlaying the skin-tight suit with lose-fitting pants and black hoodies. It concealed both their figures nicely, and was perfect for what they were about to do. With one last, burning kiss they apparated out of the dimly-lit bedroom that smelled of sex.

The place they then appeared at was nowhere near as welcoming.

Ice-cold needles of spray slammed into the sides of their faces as they appeared on the dock of Azkaban Island, and their hoods immediately made their way over their heads to protect them from the horrible weather. As they advanced up the steps on the side of the cliff the dark magic from the huge Dementor presence nudged at their Occlumency barriers, and found nothing but impenetrable defences. Even if it had been allowed into their minds, they were sufficiently dark enough that the mere presence of the soul-devouring monsters wouldn't have sent anything more than their eyebrows rising slightly upwards – for Harry anyways; Rose was still mainly light on the inside.

It was the perfect night to break in, and afterwards out, of Azkaban Prison. The entire place was on skeleton crew because of the public holiday, and not many people volunteered to be in a dark, stinking, deeply depressing and frightening prison when they could be out drinking firewhiskey and enjoying succulent Christmas feasts. Harry knew from the previous timeline exactly how this entire thing worked. When on skeleton crew two guarded the gates leading into the fortress; one guard waited inside to assist any visitors; and four more guards patrolled each floor of the huge prison. The two guards at the gate were clearly not expecting trouble, in fact they seemed to be, understandably, bemoaning the fact that Fudge had threatened to demote them if they didn't take the shift. Considering they were just doing what they were told Harry sent them to sleep with an ancient Peruvian sleeping spell that Grindlewald's memories provided him with.

What many people didn't realize was that Azkaban was created by Merlin himself, and thus the 'unbreakable wards' had contingencies. The ancient mage wasn't above thinking too highly of the human race, and knew for a fact that it would be abused in the future, and so had erected wards that mimicked the blood wards that would have been over the Dursleys had Harry considered the place home – something he'd never done. Of course Dumbledore had, and would, repetitively state that they were still there and that he had to go back to recharge them, but Harry had the old man under _his_ thumb for once and had tricked the man into thinking he was still staying at the Dursleys. A Doppelganger was in his bedroom, and would activate at the phrase 'visitor for Harry' just in case Dumbles came along to make sure he was being a good little boy.

The wards over Azkaban checked the intentions of those that entered. If they wished malicious harm then they would have a damn hard time breaking through, but if they meant merely to rescue an innocent… well Merlin's wards were quite happy to let such a thing happen. It was why Sirius had been able to so easily walk out of the Prison in his animagus form during the previous timeline, and why the wards hadn't bothered him.

It was also the only reason Harry had allowed Rose to accompany him.

The guard at the desk looked up with a yawn as they entered, clearly expecting them to be his comrades, but the rather notable lack of dark red robes was a bit of a giveaway. He was stunned even before he managed to drop the paper he was reading. The hooded lovers advanced into the Prison proper, and Rose stifled a shudder at the oppressive darkness that surrounded her. Although dark_er_ than she had been, she was still light. Harry, contrarily, felt nothing. The four guards patrolling the ground floor fell to deadly accurate spellfire from both Harry and Rose, and the young man grinned across at his girlfriend proudly. "Excellent aim."

She beamed back, "Thanks."

They both stopped when ten Dementors swooped down to block their way, and Harry wrapped his arm around Rose's shoulders when she jerked into his side. He released his aura to a point where it equalled the most powerful of Dementors, and Rose relaxed as it recognized her and warmed her. The Dementors in front of them actually backed away slightly, and Harry held his hands up showing that he wasn't about to attack. "We're only here to rescue an innocent. The guards we have subdued so far are merely unconscious, and will be perfectly alright as soon as they awaken or have an enervate cast on them."

The Dementor presence lessened on their shields as the dark creatures relaxed, but Harry released his aura in full after a moment; making the robed spectres almost fall over themselves in fear. "Hear me well," he growled dangerously, "should you join Voldemort at any point in time I will destroy you. I know the Old Chants, and can banish you just as easily as you can suck a soul. Do not make me your enemy." He got the feeling that the creatures understood him as they fled in terror. He bottled his aura back up and Rose pouted.

"I quite like the feel of you," she wined, and he looked down, amused. The mischievous glint in her eyes told him that he hadn't imagined the double meaning.

"Yes dear, but we're here to rescue my innocent Godfather. I'm sure you can wait until we go to bed to… enjoy me."

She blushed cutely, and he smirked before taking her hand in his and walking towards the stairs. As Harry was an ambidextrous it posed no problems in their spell casting. They stunned all the aurors on the first floor as well as the second, and then Rose allowed Harry to cast the special sleeping charm on those in the third floor. Four muted thumps met their ears in the eerie silence of the prison, despite the perpetual storm outside, and after double checking for life forms not inside the cells Harry tugged his girlfriend into the corridor beyond. She was appalled at the state of the people inside the cells and Harry sighed before murmuring lowly. "I'm quite glad Sirius is on this floor and not the max wing three floors up. I wouldn't want you seeing that with how unaccustomed you are to such things."

She blanched, and talked lowly back. "That bad? This is bad!"

Harry shook his head sadly. "No, this is luxury compared to those above us." Rose didn't say anything, too appalled at what he had said – and the fact that she knew he never lied to her. Finally they came to a certain cell, and Harry smiled slightly at the haggard man inside. He had his back to the bars at which they stood, and was curled into a pitiful ball on the ground, rocking slowly. "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good," he said as he pulled off his hood, and the weak-seeming man snapped around with wide eyes filled with complete and utter shock.

When he saw Harry he nearly fainted, and his voice came out as a strangled gasp. "James?"

Harry laughed but shook his head, bowing slightly. "Prongs Junior at your service Mister Padfoot, and may I introduce my lovely girlfriend," Rose lowered her hood, eliciting a gaping jaw from Sirius, and a wide grin from Harry at his reaction, "Miss Redmoon. That's her Marauder name by the way."

Sirius was at the bars in nary an instant, and reached through to cup Harry's face in his hands with tears in his suddenly bright eyes. "Oh my God Harry, oh you have no idea just how wonderful it is to see you! I didn't betr-"

"I know Sirius, I know," he assured the crying man; the tear tracks cutting clean tracks through the grime on his face, "you loved James like a brother, and Lily like a sister. I know it was Pettigrew as well." Sirius gaped, but Harry shook his head before he could speak. "Not here Padfoot, now stand back. We're getting you the fuck out of this shithole."

Sirius scrambled away from the bars, and Harry reached forwards to grab two of them. Channelling his magic into his arms he felt muscles gain inhuman power, and he pried both of them apart with a grunt of exertion. What many magicals never considered was using physical means rather than magical to solve situations. The bars were magic resistant, but were still just steel. Sirius gaped at the strength his godson was displaying, but rushed through the bars when they were wide enough; crashing into Harry and wrapping his arms weakly around the young man. "Merlin's beard Harry," he gasped as he cried harder, realizing and accepting that this truly was happening, "I-you've grown so big! I thought it had only been ten years!"

Harry laughed and nodded, "It has Paddy, but once again: not here."

It was then that Sirius saw the unconscious Aurors and he boggled before snapping his head back around to face Harry and Rose. "Yo-wha-holy hell Harry!"

Harry shrugged nonchalantly, but a smirk played on his lips. "The Ministry's a bunch of sheep. They deserve a nap. Now, shall we Mister Padfoot?"

Sirius nodded after a moment and took Harry's offered arm of support. The three unlikely individuals made their way down the stairs silently, so as to keep the aurors up above unawares of what was happening below, and walked right out the front door without a single problem. Knowing that he could finally speak freely when they were twenty meters away from the Prison Sirius turned around to face Harry, but stopped mid-word when he saw his Godson facing the huge fortress; his hands pointed towards its walls with a look of immense concentration on his face. Sirius was about to ask whether or not Harry was constipated when suddenly, out of nowhere, a huge ribbon appeared around Azkaban Prison. Both Rose and Sirius gaped when a bow formed, and the latter actually choked on his own spit when suddenly the walls of the darkest prison in the world changed to a rather festive mix of red, green, and white, and a huge label appeared above the main doors of the prison. The words on it were magically enhanced and actually tied directly to the wards of the impenetrable prison.

_Dear Fudge, (it was charmed to display the name of the Minister at the time)_

_I know you're all down with the baddies, but you fucked up. Prisoners #311918, #947284, #825402, #384591, #948527, #126485, #827457, #792057, and #918465 are innocent._

_Stop being an incompetent little shit and run the country like you're supposed to._

_Hoping you die painfully,_

_Christopher Erebus._

Sirius started sounding like a broken record as he started babbling incoherently as he pointed at the spell work, and Harry stifled a grin as he wrapped his arm around Rose's waist and dragged the shell-shocked man down the stairs to the dock where they would clear the wards. Just before they left Harry waved his arm once more, and the last thing Sirius heard as they apparated away was a jolly "HO HO HO!" and the sound of jingle bells that echoed out all across Azkaban Island.

When they arrived inside the Manor Harry grinned at Sirius, who suddenly looked very confused. "Marauder Pad is located at Number 18 South End London West." He'd changed the name after realizing that 'Potter's Pad' didn't really suit it anymore as Rose lived there with him. '_Perhaps one day I'll be able to change it back.'_ The Fidelius had been reset once their last guests left the morning after the Christmas party.

"BLOODY BLAZES OF MERLIN!" Sirius screamed out as he looked around with his jaw agape, "What the bloody fuck is this place?"

Harry rolled his eyes with a grin at his dogfather's hoarse cursing, and waved his arm around. "Welcome to my manor. Unfortunately you bloody stink, so Dobby will take you up to the water room. Once you're done just call for Dobby and he'll give you some clothes and bring you back down for some food and answers." Before Sirius could object, Dobby, who was hiding in the shadows, darted forward, grabbed Sirius, and popped away.

"So that's your godfather," Rose commented faintly, and Harry laughed before pulling her into his side and walking them into the kitchen where he sat her down at the island bench and went over the liquor cabinet.

"He's just come out of Azkaban love, which is why he's so frazzled and over…excitable." He poured a hefty amount of tequila and Midori into a blender cup and finished it off with a couple of handfuls of ice and sweet and sour mix. "Once he understands that he's free and this isn't all a dream he'll calm down and you'll find that he's a cheeky, delightfully funny, intelligent, and caring man. I learned last time that he had a lover who promised to wait for him, but was killed in a mugging before he escaped. I had my contacts keep an eye on her, and they averted the incident. She's coming over tomorrow for a 'job interview'," he accentuated with finger quotes and a grin. He stuck the cup in the blender where it crunched away for a few seconds as everything inside it mixed. He pulled it out so the ice wasn't too munched and poured the result into two cocktail glasses he had conjured.

He smiled as he slid her drink over to her and held up his glass. "To freedom and a better life." She smiled as she tapped her glass with his and took a sip, and he settled down next to her as he wrapped his arm around her waist. They sat in comfortable silence as they enjoyed their drinks and company, but several minutes later that silence was interrupted by a loud crack and "HARRY!" whereupon he was bowled off his seat and tackled to the ground by the beaming man he'd just rescued.

"Yes Sirius," he laughed, "Harry. Congratulations, I at least now know you have an IQ within double digits."

Sirius gaped for a moment before beaming, and Harry pulled himself up before hauling Sirius into a seat and telling Dobby to fetch several nutrient potions and then begin making three of his famous sandwiches. Harry forced Sirius to drink the potions before giving him the mouth-watering sandwich, and the half-starved man gaped when he saw both Rose and Harry eating the other two. "Those were mine!"

"No," Harry said slowly, as if talking to a five year old, "they were ours. You're starved, and feeding you too much would make you ill. Even that sandwich was pretty damn huge for you. You'll be eating similar portions for the next week or two." Sirius pouted but nodded after a moment, and his face suddenly lit up as he looked to Rose, and then back to Harry with a dodgy wink.

Harry sighed despondently, but had a smile on his face. "Sirius, stop being such a horndog. She's mine, and you'd better not forget it."

Sirius winced and slowly turned to Rose to see the reaction to the whole 'ownership' can of worms, and gaped when she simply smiled at Harry and leaned further into his one-armed embrace. "We understand each other," Rose explained in response to his expression, "and he's mine as well. It's a mutual ownership – though soon more might be… well yeah. It's mutual." She thought better of extrapolating on the new relationships about to be forged in a few days. Harry silently agreed with her decision.

"Look Sirius, there're things going on that you wouldn't believe – my age being one of them. You _were_ in Azkaban for ten years, and so I should be eleven. Thing is, I'm actually from the future."

Sirius gaped, and then sent Harry a sly grin. "You nearly had me going there Prongs Junior!"

Harry just stared at Sirius deadpanned until the convict's smile slowly dropped from his face. "No joke, Sirius, I kid you not – Marauder's Honour." The smile completely clattered to the floor and Harry sent him a small smile. "I sent my soul back to inhabit my younger body, and my younger and older soul merged. In the previous timeline I was a dark, dark, dark bastard. Bordering on the precipice of 'oh hell, there go all my positive emotions'. Fortunately my younger soul hauled me out of that hole, and in the process I found the first love of my life, Rose." The redhead blushed with a pleased smile on her face and squeezed Harry lightly, while Sirius just listened slack-jawed. "I arrived back on my seventh birthday, right after Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley – yes, Sirius, Dumbledore circumvented the will and put me there – beat the living shit out of me and left me to die.

"Fortunately I recovered with my old magic intact, albeit with tiny channels that couldn't handle full output, and I started getting nice and comfortable. Over the next three years I created an alias for myself-"

"Christopher Erebus," Sirius interrupted as he remembered the name signed on Azkaban, and Harry nodded with a smile.

"Yes, Christopher Erebus, and then I recreated my old network of contacts. It was right before I was about to leave for Hogwarts that Rose and I started dating – like, an hour before the train left – and then I headed off to face the sheep." Sirius snorted. "I was then sorted into Slytherin-"

"You were WHAT?"

Harry stared at Sirius with a raised eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure I made myself clear when I said Slytherin-"

"But you parents-"

"Sirius, I'm going to nip this in the bud right now. Lily and James Potter are _dead_!" Sirius winced at the reminder. "And since I wasn't raised by them, I have no idea how they would like me to act. I was brought up in a world of pain, abuse, and manipulation. In the past timeline I wizened up and became the perfect Slytherin to survive. In this timeline I'm the heir to Slytherin." Sirius baulked at that information and Harry shrugged. "It is irrelevant, Sirius. What you need to understand is that I am Dark but not evil, a Slytherin but not treacherous, and your friends' son but unlike them in so many ways. I am Harry. I am not mini-James. If you can accept that we can be good friends, I just know it."

Sirius looked at Harry, surprised, and searched his face before slowly nodding. "I-I think I can do that."

Harry nodded back, and a small smile broke onto his face. "Good. Now after I was sorted into Slytherin I started causing major upsets. I called on Salazar's ghost to haul Slytherin back into what it once was; a cunning house without bigotry, and then duelled a Master Dueller seventh year where I handed his arse to him. I then told the entire Great Hall what my life had been like, minus the whole 'I'm a time traveller' deal, gave Dumbledore his warning, made Snape cry, and then slept in one of my best friends' rooms. She was, of note, a girl, and the head of house allowed me to do so."

Sirius looked torn between being inordinately proud and freaking out. "I then blasted all academic records away; got two girls, a first year and your niece Nymphadora Tonks who is a seventh year, to start falling in love with me; started classes on Occlumency to stop Dumbledore and Snape mind-raping them; fell completely in love myself with Rose; and have finally decided, with my love's blessing, to bring both Nym and Hermione, the first year, into our relationship. That's what's been happening in a nutshell."

Sirius didn't know what on Earth to say, and indeed didn't have time to compose anything before Harry had called Dobby again and was addressing him. "Now Sirius, tonight you are going to bed. Tomorrow I will have you brought breakfast at ten, and I expect you to be downstairs dressed smartly, groomed, and washed, by twelve o'clock. We are expecting a visitor at one, and before then I need to inform you about just what the ground rules are. Dobby? Please take Sirius to his room on the third floor."

Sirius was just opening his mouth to speak once again when Dobby popped him away, and Rose looked across at Harry, amused. "You know he won't be able to get to sleep now."

Harry shook his head in disagreement as he looked where his godfather had been standing. "He's spent twelve years in Azkaban; unable to get a full-night's sleep at all. As soon as his head hits that pillow he's going to be out like a light, whether he wants to think about everything I've said or not."

She smiled with a small chuckle before hugging him from behind and resting her cheek against his shoulder blade. "Are you alright? You haven't seen him for nearly ten years, and then it was when he was blasted through the Veil."

Harry smiled softly at Rose's concern and turned around before embracing her fully; resting his chin on the top of her scalp. "I'm fine, just a little overwhelmed. I didn't want to show that in front of Padfoot though; he had enough to be worrying about without me being all emotional."

She smiled and squeezed before taking his hand and pulling him in the direction of their bedroom, her expression half-lidded and her tone sultry. "I have need of you lover."

Harry just smiled and made sure to cast as many privacy charms as he could over the door as his girlfriend slowly stripped his body.

Harry was surprised the next morning when Dobby actually had to wake them up, but the flood of what had happened the previous night, and during the early morning hours in the privacy of his room, suddenly allowed his lie-in to make sense. He grinned despite himself and propped himself up on his elbow to look down upon the peaceful face of his first love. Her radiant crimson hair was fanned out over the pillow on which her head lay, and a small line of drool had stained a dark spot in her pillow during her sleep. She would have looked cute had the rest of her lithe, perfect body not been on display. Harry thought that sexy was a more appropriate description.

He smiled before gently extracting himself from the bed and getting dressed, and left her to sleep for a while more. He yawned his way into the kitchen and found Sirius leering at him as he ate his way through yet another one of Dobby's legendary sandwiches. Several vials of potions were empty next to his elbow. "Yes, Paddy, we had sex. Get the fuck over it."

"Touchy touchy," the grinning idiot shot back, "not a morning person are you Harry?"

Harry grumbled a rather angry insult back under his breath, but that only served to make Sirius grin wider. As he waited for the coffee to brew he turned around and leaned on the bench to get a better look at his godfather. His hair had been given a trim and his beard had disappeared; making room for his customary goatee and moustache. He was dressed smartly, just as Harry had told him too, and he noted that all of the clothing was from his wardrobe – auto-sizing of course. The man's face was still gaunt and his cheeks were sunken from the time he'd suffered in Azkaban, but his eyes held life above all else – even if there was a haunted look behind the emotions. He grabbed his cup out of the machine, which he'd charmed to not react adversely to magic, and then sat down opposite the man who he'd looked up to as a father figure in his past life.

"So what's up with the whole looking twenty-three thing Pup?"

Harry's lips quirked into a smile at the endearment, but he didn't comment on it. "Permanent aging potion. We had a Christmas party a couple of nights back where all of Rose's family came around. Since they're all muggle I didn't think they'd appreciate their twenty year old relative dating an eleven year old." Sirius frowned, but Harry held up his hand to stall the inevitable comment. "Yes, technically I lost years off my life, but I'm working on a Philosopher's Stone so it shouldn't be a lasting problem."

Sirius gaped, his nearly-finished sandwich forgotten on the plate in front of him. "A Philosopher's Stone? Merlin Harry you don't do things by halves, do you?"

"No," he agreed, "not really. It'll take a few more months though. I need the blood of four hundred virgins to make the basic one." Harry caught the look of horror and glared. "I'm not that bloody dark Sirius. I've got my people asking around for blood donations by virgins in Europe and America. The more donations the more powerful the stone, and so far I'm 'employing' two thousand female virgins. They go to one of my organizations' properties, get sat down with magazines, music, movies, whatever they want, and we drain their blood while feeding them blood-replenishing potions. It takes four sessions to get a body's worth of blood, as blood replenisher is dangerous if taken consistently, so we wait two months between each draining."

"Bu- the Flamels?"

Harry's eyes darkened and he shook his head. "Unfortunately they decided to take the easy way and just kidnap the virgins before sacrificing them. The resultant stone was not only weak because they hurried to complete the ritual, but was also incomplete because they didn't vet the sacrifices properly. Around a tenth were non-virgins."

Sirius' face was twisted into an expression of anger, but before he could blurt it out Rose walked into the kitchen and smiled when she caught sight of Harry in just his boxers and a singlet. She herself was just wearing a gown, and Harry had to lean over and smack Sirius quite violently over the back of his head in reminder that she was taken. The three discussed various things for a while until Harry caught sight of the time, and he and Rose retreated to their room to get dressed. When they emerged they looked every part powerful businesspeople, and Sirius stared as they returned to their coffees. "Erm, not to sound prying… but why are we all tarted up?"

"We have a business meeting," Harry replied without giving anything away, "and while Rose and I conduct it you will bring in refreshments and such. You will have to be discreet when she arrives, and stay in the kitchen. Ten minutes after the front door closes you will bring a pitcher of ice water and three glasses into the meeting room; first floor, third door to the left."

"So I'm your butler now?" Sirius asked dryly, and Harry chuckled.

"Just trust me on this."

Grumbling about how it was all a load of bollocks Sirius agreed, and it was then that an owl swooped into the room clutching a copy of the Daily Prophet in its talons. Harry smirked as he paid the bird and took the offered paper, and burst out laughing when he saw the picture that had been taken in broad daylight. Santa's Sleigh was on the battlements, as well as some animated reindeer, and the picture clearly showed both the message 'Christopher' had left, as well as Fudge screaming at workers as they tried to undo the enchantments. Apparently nothing had been leaked, so news of Sirius' escape wasn't there, but the prisoner numbers were clearly visible and Rita Skeeter had done some surprisingly accurate information gathering to get their names… and the fact they'd never been given trials.

Sirius offered Harry congratulations on surpassing all pranks the Marauders had ever before attempted. The three laughed and chatted about the Wizarding World for nearly an hour before the doorbell rung, and Harry smiled at Sirius. "Just remember, keep yourself hidden until you deliver the drinks. We need her to think we're powerful."

Sirius grudgingly agreed, and Harry smiled before leaving the kitchen and heading towards the front door while Rose disappeared up the stairs and into the meeting room. Harry opened the door and smiled at the woman standing there. She was in her mid-thirties, however was still a knockout. Harry couldn't deny that. She stood five six, just shorter than Rose, and had rich brown hair that curled over her shoulders but still managed to look professional. She was dressed very well, clearly wanting to make a good impression, and a quick skim of her emotions confirmed this. She was deadly nervous.

"Come in," he smiled, and she smiled nervously back before stepping into the foyer. She seemed almost more intimidated by the inside of the house than the outside. "Follow me; my associate is waiting upstairs." She nodded and followed demurely behind him, and entered the 'interview' room with a look of apprehension. He closed the doors behind her and motioned to a seat in front of the desk where Rose was already sat. He took the seat next to his girlfriend and smiled before turning to their 'prospective employee'. "Well Miss Talton, my name is Christopher Erebus," he saw her eyes shoot open in shock, "and my partner here is Silphy Richardson."

"E-Erebus?"

He laughed and nodded, "I see my reputation precedes me. I assure you that despite the fact I have dark contacts and connections, my intentions are not malicious as many would have you believe." She nodded, looking rather unconvinced, and Harry pulled a folder out of mid-air before flicking through it. "Your records are impressive," he commented without looking up, "you speak several languages fluently, including Gobbledygook and Mermish, which is commendable. I myself speak ten languages, including Elvish, Hellspeak, and Gobbledygook. Mermish I've never really had an interest in – I'm happy to let them live in peace and they return the favour."

"And you don't feel the same about demons?"

He looked up and sent the incredulous woman a winning smile. "Ah, but it's so satisfying insulting them in their own language as you banish them back to Hell!"

Rose stifled a giggle. He'd done a demonstration of that exact thing the day before yesterday, and it _had_ been immensely amusing. Marlene, however, clearly thought that the man in front of her was at least partially insane. "You studied at Hogwarts, graduating second in your year – commendable, especially as the other person was Nicolas Flamel in disguise." She baulked at the information, and stared in shock at her potential employer who was throwing top secret material around like it was as important as the weather. "Also completed a degree in Psychology at Oxford, brilliant. I studied at Oxford myself; a wonderful University if a little… stuck in tradition. Correspondence Bachelor of Criminology minoring in forensic science. I wonder if your relationship with convicted and incarcerated Sirius Black has something to do with that?"

We have just lost cabin pressure.

Marlene turned white, and Harry looked up at her with a questioning look. "Oh goodness," he said after a moment, sensing Sirius moving from the kitchen and up the stairs, "surely you can't still be in love with the stupid piece of Death Eater shite?"

Her pale face suddenly turned red, and the door behind her silently open as Sirius stepped through. When he turned around to silently close it once more Marlene popped. Her face was bright red as she surged to her feet, and she positively screamed at Harry. "FUCK YOU! IF THAT'S WHAT YOU FUCKING THINK THEN YOU CAN SHOVE THIS FUCKING JOB RIGHT UP YOU FISTED ARSE! I LOVE SIRIUS BLACK! HE'S NOT A DEATH EATER! I'LL WAIT FOR HIM UNTIL I DIE IF I HAVE TO!"

The sound of breaking glass met the end of her tirade, and she snapped around ready to lay into whoever else was listening. Sirius stared at her with wide eyes and complete shock written all over his face and her red complexion turned pale in an instant as she started trembling. "S-Sirius?" she all but whimpered, and he nodded mutely, so completely and utterly shocked that he couldn't even breathe. Marlene slowly walked forwards and reached up with her shaking hand, and when her fingers came to rest against his solid cheek she let out a heart-wrenching sob before crushing him in a deep embrace as she wept into his shoulder.

Harry and Rose both smiled softly at the reunion, and made their way slowly past the couple and out the door as tears started rolling down Sirius' own cheeks and he wrapped his arms around the only woman he'd ever loved.

Much later that day the two reunited lovers joined Rose and Harry out on the patio where the couple was practicing Pitch Magic, and both had gaped at the display of complete control they were presenting over unarguably the most wild and untameable magic in the entire world. Harry had laughed at their expressions when him and Rose finished the exercise, and had motioned them to a nearby table where they had sat down and Dobby had brought refreshments. Marlene was quickly brought into the fold in regards who Harry really was, and although at first disbelieving finally gave in when he swore an oath. Of course that opened the issue over who what the real Lord Black, but Harry had quickly informed Sirius that because he had, technically, been Lord Black last in the timeline… sort of, he was the new Lord Black. Sirius really wasn't that upset, in fact he was almost grateful that he would have to put up with all the crap that came with being Head of the family.

That, and Harry knew more about politics and laws than he did. He trusted his Pup with his life, and was more than content trusting him with his family.

Marlene had taken up Harry's offer of a room, or more specifically Sirius' room, as well as employment at one of the local shelters for children on the streets as a psychologist; one of the many legitimate things he owned. She was almost bouncing around in excitement when Harry explained that she could use magic to help her patients, as he'd warded the area extensively.

She had taken the upcoming situation with Hermione and Tonks in a stride, and told Harry under no uncertain terms that he could pretty much torture Fudge right in front of her and she wouldn't care after what he'd done for her. He'd told her that he'd hold her to that, and she'd laughed… before realizing that nobody else was.

That had taken another hour of explaining, and although she was uncomfortable with just how dark Harry was she trusted him – even with her life. She understood that although dark he wasn't evil, and besides, just how bad could somebody be if a person like Rose loved them?

As Harry lay in bed that night with his lover peacefully curled against him he wondered again if it was actually possible to change the magical world. He pondered that recurring question for several minutes before closing his eyes. His last thought was what Dumbledore would think when it became clear that Sirius had escaped.

His smirk followed him into Morpheus' arms.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Well this is where things start getting darker, for those readers wanting some progression past fluff. This is just a precursor, to show that things won't always be peachy.**

* * *

The day had finally come. Harry was more nervous than he'd ever been in his entire life, despite the fact that Rose told him that she already liked them through their Christmas letters. He made sure he was looking presentable for the tenth time before sighing and sitting down on the bed behind him, and Rose came in a moment later shaking her head and sighing with a small smile on her lips. "You know you really shouldn't be this worried."

He gave a mirthless chuckle and ran a hand through his hair that refused to stay orderly no matter what he did to it. "Yeah, sure. Hey guys, especially you 'Mione, I'm actually twenty seven years old mentally, and twenty three physically! But I'm not a paedophile or anything Hermione." He sent her a deadpan expression, "Yeah, that'll go over just peachy."

"Well… you actually do have a point there."

He buried his head in his hands and shook his head. "Not at all helping Rose, not at all."

"She'll be fine with it," she assured him as she sat down and took his hand in hers. "Once you explain everything I think she'll be flattered; flattered that you saved her and still love her despite what she put you through in the last timeline. Tonks will, from what you've told me about her, be extremely happy you're older and better able to… please." She finished that with a smirk and Harry rolled his eyes but gave a small chuckle as he felt some of the weight lift off of his shoulders.

"I hope so, Rose. I really do." Harry sighed and stared down at his shoes. "But I've got a bad feeling about today – call it pessimistic instinct, but I feel it in my gut." He looked across when she took his hand and she smiled as she shook her head.

"You're just working yourself up into a state. Just calm down, and everything'll be fine."

He stared at her for some time before sighing deeply and giving a nod, and a moment later a smile broke onto his lips. "Alright, I'm okay. Let's head on down and wait for our first guests to arrive." She nodded happily in response and the pair made their way into the foyer before conjuring two chairs to wait in, facing the door. They made idle conversation for quite some time, at least until a pleasant chiming rung out in the huge entrance hall. Harry smiled as he looked at the clock and found their visitors bang on time, and had no qualms about just which family would be waiting outside the door. When he opened it he was not at all disappointed. Hermione's eyes shot wide open with complete shock when she saw the elder Harry, and he gave her a flicker of a wink before smiling at her parents and holding out his hand to Dan Granger. "You must be Hermione's father – I believe we've both heard our fair share about each of our children's friend by this point. I'm Christopher; Harry's caregiver."

Hermione blushed while Dan and Mary Granger just chuckled and nodded. "Please, come on in, no need to be strangers."

Dan waved his hand vaguely and smiled as he shook his head. "I'm afraid Mary and I have to go to a conference so we can't dawdle. Hermione says that you'll drop her back home tomorrow about dinner, is that still okay?"

Harry smiled and nodded, "Still right as rain Dan. We'll call if something comes up, which is entirely likely considering Harry and his sometimes crazy ideas. It truly wouldn't surprise me if tomorrow I called you to say we wanted to take Hermione on a small holiday to France."

Mary gaped, but then laughed musically. "I see. Well then, we look forward to hearing what you've been doing-"

Everybody looking at Harry froze when they saw his face pale, and he jerked around with wide eyes to search frantically for his lover. Rose was nowhere to be seen, but there were clear traces of a portkey lingering in the air. His head snapped back around to face the Grangers before he dragged them inside and slammed shut the door. They all looked at him like he was mad, but he shook his head seriously. "I need you to stay here and do not move from this foyer. Hermione, only let Tonks and her parents in and close the door immediately afterwards; my love has just been kidnapped."

Hermione baulked, but couldn't say anything before Harry had spun on his heel and left an empty spot and a minute pop in his wake. Where he emerged, after tracing the deteriorating portkey trail, he immediately slammed up a fully-fledged Darksider shield. Black curses crashed against it immediately in incredible number, but he was already looking around the blood-swathed battlefield desperately to find Rose. It was night, which allowed his shadow mage powers to pierce through the gloom and grant him a phenomenal increase in perception. Unfortunately the sheer number of combatants was drowning out her magic calling to him, and he felt panic rising in his chest. Vampires swarmed all around him; ripping, tearing, biting, killing; two sides clearly facing each other in a battle of last man standing.

The moon beamed down across the landscape, and it was then that Harry saw her. She was right in the middle of a battling crowd of blood-suckers; attacking valiantly, but even at the huge distance between them he could tell she was quickly tiring. He focussed on a point just outside the swarm and twisted, and immediately popped into existence just outside the fray. He knew he was too late the moment he saw it happening. On the ridge to the left of him, and just behind Rose, stood a man in dark navy robes with the crest of the French Ministry emblazoned on his chest. Harry saw the final motion of his wand, and yelled in terror. A huge construct of fire resembling a Wyvern burst from the tip of the Auror's wand and blasted right towards the group of Vampires.

And Rose.

Time seemed to slow. Harry's mind frantically scrambled for a solution, but there was none that would guarantee Rose's survival. He was too far away to run to her and shield her; apparation would take too long and would act like a beacon for the fiendfire; summoning her would be impeded by the crowd of fighting vampires that surrounded her.

His options were out; all except for one. He released his aura in its entirety, and forced his magic to mix with it before slamming it forwards with a roar of primal hope. He watched it reach Rose just before the fiendfire did, and his knees buckled when he felt the pressure of the huge construct against his very essence. Despite the blood pumping furiously in his ears, it couldn't drown out the most horrifying sound out all. Rose's screams sliced the night air and through even the sounds of battle. Harry wandlessly cast a piercing hex and the man who was controlling the fiendfire and he fell to the ground like a marionette with its strings cut; a hole bored right through his skull. Immediately the fiendfire went wild as its master was killed, and it soared upwards before targeting the next largest group to wreak havoc and death upon.

Harry didn't care what it did. He sprinted towards where his aura was still rippling and pulled it deep inside him once more before grabbing the huddled, smoking, and screaming figure and apparating away with an ear-shattering crack that sent a concussion wave across the entire field. When he reappeared in his home's foyer he immediately sprung into action. "DOBBY!" The house-elf popped into the room and Harry waved his hand at Rose; banishing all of her clothes and stunning her at the same time; her screams of agony petering out. He heard gasps from all around him, but didn't look at what he had uncovered yet; too intent on Dobby. "Go to Elise and tell her I need her right now. Huge third degree dark magic burns to thirty five, maybe forty percent of Rose's body. Tell her pitch-magic contamination is exceedingly high – go now!"

The house-elf popped away without a single question of moment of hesitation, and Harry turned to the naked woman on the tiles. He forced back a sob when he saw the massive coverage of lacerated burns that covered almost her entire right side and levitated her to waist level so the burned skin didn't attach itself to the cold tiles. He immediately summoned his ritual knife and then cast another wandless stunner at Rose before cutting a deep rune into her left breast; right above her heart. As soon as it was done he pressed his hands to it and hissed as he converted his dark magic into holy. The rune activated and disappeared as Rose flashed a blinding white, and he yelled in pain as the resulting wave of purifying energy tore at his body.

He forced through the pain and immediately begun a medical isolation charm on the huge expanse of burned tissue before casting augmenti right into the resulting reservoir. A bubble of water appeared to slide across the burnt tissue as he poured more water in; forcefully cooling the burns and reducing the risk of the healthy skin necrotising. Another pop echoed out in the foyer and Harry begun speaking as he cast with both his wand and free hand; not even turning to see who it was. "Elise, fiendfire damage. I swathed her in my aura to prevent atomisation, but you know just what that means. It was the best I could do. Purification's taken care of residual contamination, so we're free to work. I've isolated the burned tissue, and I'm cooling it at a safe rate."

Elise, unseen to Harry, nodded and rushed forward before pouring a dark green potion into Rose's slightly open mouth and then rushing to her ex-student's side and casting a barrage of spells through the bubble of water and onto Rose's damaged skin. "I've got a post-Cruciatus in her," she informed him quietly as they worked, "that'll help with dermal nerve damage."

"Is that a good thing?"

She winced but nodded. "At first it'll be worse for her; she'll be in constant pain as the skin heals."

Harry looked down at his lover's naked body as he continued casting constant healing spells, and his mind sifted through hundreds of years of knowledge he had absorbed from Horcruxes and knowledge repositories over the years. "And the Pitch?"

Elise sighed and shook her head. "We'll only be able to do so much Chris; you saved her life with your aura, but because the heat went through it… well they're Pitch magic wounds. You know how hard they are to heal in even the smallest cases – and they're never fully gone no matter what we do."

Harry heard a gasp from behind him and took a moment to turn his head over his shoulder. He saw everybody; the Grangers and the Tonkses, staring at him and the heavily burned body of what was clearly a beautiful woman. Hermione raised a hand to her mouth when she saw the pain in Harry's eyes, and he jerked back to his work. Her entire left side of her body had been saved; turned away from the fire as she curled up in preparation, but the majority of her right side was a mess. Violently blistered skin covered the left side of her torso, only her breast coming out reasonably unscathed, and even then only half of it was clear of the deep burns. Almost all of her hair had been turned to char and fallen off, and he concentrated on her eye hidden amongst the blistered flesh while Elise modified the levitation charm to turn Rose over.

He caught a glimpse of her back just before he ducked underneath to continue his desperate healing, and fought back the cries of anger and despair. It was clear that her back had caught the brunt of the fiendfire's heat, though once more her left side had come out the most unscathed. He could feel her eye slowly rehydrate underneath her eyelid and breathed a sigh of relief when he felt the optic nerve pick up and repair – helped in no small part he knew by the post-Cruciatus potion Elise had administered. He left his magic tending to the final repairs as he jolted back up and cast an ice-hex at the bubble of water, and condensation formed on the surface as the water cooled even further. He released it before it could turn to ice and lent Elise some of his magic; pushing the purest he could find directly into her coils.

She perked up immediately and nodded without turning to him. "I know a Pitch ritual that could help," he explained as he sliced his palm open and begun drawing a pentagram around the hovering body of Rose, "it'll help repair the damage better than we can with normal magic."

"Sacrifice?" Elise asked above Andromeda and Ted's gasps at the mention of Pitch magic, and Harry nodded.

"Yeah, fifty grown adults."

Elise winced, but nodded, and Harry turned away with a tear running down his cheek as his eyes ran over his girlfriend's body again. "Dobby!"

The house-elf appeared after a moment looking dead serious and Harry immediately told him what he wanted. "Bring me every prisoner scheduled for the Veil and the Kiss, and if there's not enough then the worst of the Death Eaters too. Tell Azkaban that Christopher Erebus needs them for a Pitch sacrifice."

Dobby nodded and popped away, and Andromeda finally spoke up as he turned back to Rose and begun casting again. "C-Christopher Erebus?"

"Yeah," he ground out as the immense pull on his magic begun taking hold, "that's me."

"B-but you're-"

"An evil, dark, murdering and cruel son of a bitch? No. That's what they'd like you to think – but not now please; I need to concentrate on my girlfriend."

Andromeda nodded and retreated looking troubled, but gasped when a huge number of pops filled the room; each one accompanied by the appearance of a bound and gagged prisoner. Her eyes widened further when she recognized several of Voldemort's most loyal, but Harry didn't notice and instead tapped Elise on the shoulder. She looked up from her work into Harry's serious eyes and nodded as she stepped out of the ritual circle; careful not to smudge any of the intricate patterns formed by his blood as she escaped. Harry stood by Rose's side and stroked her undamaged cheek softly before taking in a deep breath and releasing his aura in full.

Elise hurriedly erected a purification shield when she felt the darkness smack her in the face like a physical entity, and everybody behind her gave a sigh of relief as the terror paralyzing their bodies lessened slightly. Everybody's attention was drawn to the young man stood in the center of the pentagram, and they saw him with his eyes closed as he muttered inaudibly. However silent, the effects were visible. Every charm still acting on Rose failed, and the water crashed to the ground. Elise hissed a breath as she looked to the blood pentagram, but sighed with relief when she saw that it was now burned into the tiles as the Pitch magic had imbued itself within the medium.

Suddenly the pile of Azkaban inmates jerked upwards; seemingly levitated, and rose above Harry and his damaged girlfriend; muffled screams of fright breaking through the gags. Harry didn't pay them even the slightest attention; his murmuring continuing unbroken. "You may wish to look away," Elise warned from inside the protective bubble, "this will not be for the faint of heart in any way. If I guess correctly every single one of these prisoners will be skinned alive and have their muscles torn from their bodies to repair Rose's."

Mary Granger made a gagging sound and turned immediately away, and Dan forced his daughter to his side; turning her body so that she wouldn't see. She struggled out of his hold and then pulled her wand when he made to grab for her. He paused, shocked at his daughter's defiance, and Hermione shook her head. "Harry knows Pitch magic. It's part of who he is. I need to see it to understand."

Dan made to growl at his daughter when his wife put a hand on her shoulder, still facing away just in case the ritual begun. "It's okay Dan. This is a part of her world, and a part of her friend that she needs to see."

He stared down at Mary in shock, and Andromeda nodded slightly, as her daughter also had her eyes fixed to the ritual taking place. Both her and Ted had seen dark rituals before, and although they knew what was coming would be gruesome they were curious. The magical world, unfortunately, was far more desensitized to violence and gore than the muggle one, simply because a great number of their laws were so medieval. And then it began. Simultaneously, huge lacerations appeared over the bodies of the prisoners and sheets of skin were cut from their bodies by the magic before falling and floating like a whirlwind of gore above Rose. Hermione raised a hand to her mouth with wide eyes as she saw muscle exposed in front of her very eyes, both at the sight and the knowledge that it was Harry that was performing such an act. She nearly gagged when she saw the red, glistening, and bloody strands of muscle ripping themselves from the bodies as well – and the muffled screams of pain only increased.

"The reason Christopher has to do this," Elise explained, "is because of what he did to save Rose. Fiendfire is dark by itself, and had it touched Rose she would not have been burned; rather sublimed; reduced to a liquid and then a gas in a mere millisecond due to the magic and heat. Harry swathed her in his aura, which by comparison is even darker than fiendfire in nature. It blocked the magic, saving her life, and a fair amount of the heat, but the heat that did get through was tainted with the darkness of his aura." She watched muscle by muscle as the prisoners were reduced to mere bone and organ almost impassively. "Dark magic damage is never healed fully. Pitch magic damage is almost un-survivable. The only reason Rose is still alive is because Christopher's aura… well it likes her. It would have tried to keep contamination to a minimum. But we could only do so much. The heat burned right down to Rose's muscles; denaturing them.

"Without this ritual wherever the burns were would be dead. Not scar tissue; but dead. Once these prisoners are stripped of all that is needed their souls will be taken by the Pitch magic as a sacrifice in order to power the ritual. Their muscle will become her muscle; their nerves her nerves; their skin her skin. She will never be healed. She will be scarred for the rest of her life, and no amount of magic will help. Even Pitch magic can only do so much." She watched as a dark spear passed through Rose's head and gave a running commentary on what was happening. "The magic just closed off her brain so that the pain of this will not affect her in any way."

The people watching; everybody but Mary, then watched with horror as the bodies of all the prisoners exploded in a mist of blood that condensed into a hovering sphere. The black runes on the floor suddenly burst to life; pulsing deep red, and the sphere of life slowly started diminishing as it was used somewhat like a battery for the ritual. They watched with detached shock as Rose's damaged skin slowly dissolved, along with the dead muscle tissue underneath, and then slowly rebuild as the muscle strands and skin hovering above disappeared. "The reason for fifty sacrifices is twofold," Elise muttered, "firstly for the life to power the ritual, and also because the skin and muscle collected must be converted into _her _muscle and skin. Out of all that muscle and skin only one two hundredths of its mass will actually remain – just less than needed to completely heal Rose. And no," she interrupted Hermione before she could speak, "using more prisoners would not have worked. Pitch magic is so specific that even one hair from another 'sacrifice' would have killed both Rose and Christopher. It's why he cast a specialized cleaning charm before he begun."

They watched as Rose was slowly repaired; muscle fibre by muscle fibre, and later patch by patch of skin, until the pentagram slowly died and the last of the hovering ball of blood disappeared with a low squelch. Harry collapsed to his knees and begun wheezing after retracting his aura, and Elise dropped her shield while simultaneously recasting the levitation on Rose as she fell; Harry too magically drained to keep even such a small thing working. Harry looked weakly up and smiled with a small nod, and then hauled himself painstakingly to his feet. He found himself helped up, and smiled down at Tonks who was crying. She lent him her shoulder to prop himself up on, and he stared down at Rose's body as it was slowly covered with specially treated healing salve and bandages. Eventually all that was visible was the unburned side of her body, and Elise conjured a hospital robe over her half-nakedness.

"Where is her room?" she asked quietly, and nodded when Harry pointed to the double doors to the left of the stairs. He watched her get levitated away and wiped at his eyes as more tears threatened to overflow. He pointed to the kitchen and Tonks nodded before helping him shuffle his way there. She helped him into one of the barstools and he sighed before lowering his head into his hands. "Dobby?"

The elf in question popped into existence and Harry gave the smallest flickering of a smile before his face sunk once more into despair. "Thank you. You did just what I wanted. Would you please make me a drink with enough alcohol to get me heavily tipsy? And please cast the necessary charms on it so I don't hurl or choke on it."

Dobby nodded and clicked his fingers, and the just-arriving adults all stared with shock as Dobby poured a huge amount of almost pure alcohol into a glass before waving his hand several times and sliding it across to Harry. Dan actually dropped his jaw when he saw the young man scull it back like water, and Harry gently placed the glass down on the bench before nodding to Dobby, who gave a sad smile and popped away. "I'm so very sorry you had to see that," Harry muttered as his head descended into his hands once more. "You shouldn't have had to. The wards on this house are iron-clad, but with the amount of magical saturation I won't be able to track what happened."

"Ha- Christopher, will Rose be alright?"

Hermione looked nervously around to see if anybody but Tonks had caught her slip, and sunk with relief when nobody appeared to have heard it. "She'll live," Elise said as she walked into the kitchen looking drawn and tired, sitting down opposite of Harry, and the young man himself raised his dull eyes to look at her. "The muscular reparations are almost perfect. When her body adjusts she'll regain almost one hundred percent mobility." Harry sagged in relief, but Elise had a twisted look on her face. "Unfortunately the skin reparation… that's never as good. She will be scarred noticeably for the rest of her life. The scar tissue was softened a great deal by the ritual, so it won't impair movement and it should move almost like normal skin, but it will always be visible."

Harry shook his head. "I don't care. Even when I first saw her during the healing I loved her just as much as I always had, and always will. It doesn't matter if she is scarred; she's beautiful."

Elise smiled slightly, the grave look on her face lightening a fraction. "I am glad Christopher. She will need constant reassurance by you about that; to her only your opinion matters – as you well know. Perhaps her grandparents' and great uncle and aunties too, but nowhere near as much as your own. Even a week ago she still felt insecure about your feelings for her. She told me in confidence, but I believe this situation calls for that to be voided. She thought herself too poor; too mundane to be your lover. She thought above all that she wasn't pretty enough, and now that will take a huge hit."

Harry nodded and gave a sigh before turning his empty class twice counter clockwise as he thought. "Anything else I need to do?"

"Bandages changed three times a day as well as the salve I've left on the bedside table. Clear it off with a specialized swiping charm and reapply – as much as you can without it actually dripping off her." Harry nodded and she leaned across to lay a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "I'm glad she has you."

He gave a humourless chuckle, "Without me this would never have happened. Somebody knows about us, and when she went to work they must've planted a portkey on her. Took her right into the middle of a French Vampire clan battle."

"Will they know you were there?"

He shook his head and sighed as he looked down at the bench. "No. That area was saturated with the darker magics – and my piercing spell that killed the Auror that cast fiendfire would be well drowned out. My apparation signature would've been massive, but the concussion bomb I left in my wake would've disrupted that so much that even the entire Unspeakable department working on it simultaneously wouldn't be able to make heads or tails of it."

"Good."

He chuckled again, clearly without mirth. "No, no it's not. The person that caused Rose this pain is still out there. Our healing efforts and my apparation bomb have wiped any traces away that would lead me to them. And it was advanced; it got past my wards."

He stared down at the granite and traced the darker patches. "Will you go by Madam Malkin's and tell her what happened? Not everything, but just enough for her to know that she won't be working for the foreseeable future. Just say that her boyfriend is taking care of her. She'll know what I mean."

Elise nodded and squeezed again before disapparating, and Andromeda took the vacated seat to stare at him. She opened her mouth, but snapped it closed when she saw the incredulous glare her daughter was sending her. Tonks turned to the man she knew to be Harry and rubbed his back comfortingly. "Where's Harry?" she asked quietly, and he sighed before replying.

"He's at duelling practice. I got an owl just before you all arrived that said he'd be two hours late because his teacher decided to start teaching him some more intense Pitch magic."

"Harry Potter is learning Pitch magic?" blurted Andromeda and Harry raised his eyes to glare at her.

"Yes, he is. And no, it's not against the law because he's learning it in a different country; a sovereign state. My using that Pitch magic ritual _was_ illegal however. It saved Rose's life more likely than not, as well as her quality of life."

"You murdered fifty people! Fifty innocent people!" cried Mary, and Harry fixed his eyes to her while Tonks shook her head.

"No, Christopher didn't kill innocents. He told Dobby to go and get fifty people sentenced to the Kiss or the Veil, or high ranking Death Eaters. The Kiss is getting your soul sucked out; the Veil is just… death. The Death Eaters have an initiation where one must rape and kill, or in a woman's case force a man to rape a woman and then kill them both." Mary looked suddenly pale, but Hermione didn't move to comfort her. She jumped up next to Harry and started rubbing his back like Tonks, and he sent her a slight smile. "Either way," Tonks continued, "they at least died helping somebody."

"It's life in Azkaban for Pitch magic," Andromeda warned, but petered fearfully off when Harry's killing-curse-green eyes burned into her.

"So I should have just let my love be ruined? Just let her be disabled for the rest of her life _as well as_ being horrifically scarred? If you husband was burned that bad and you knew that if you didn't sacrifice fifty guilty people that have committed horrible crimes would you care? Huh?" Andromeda looked away, properly chastised, and Harry buried his head in his hands. "I don't care if I got Azkaban for this. I love Rose, and I'd do it again if I had to."

"Don't worry Chris," Tonks said firmly, "Mum won't turn you in, and neither will Dad." Harry looked up and found his friend glaring at both her parents, and her ultimatum shocked even him, "Unless they want to lose a daughter too."

"Nympha-"

"DO NOT CALL ME THAT!" Tonks yelled, finally at breaking point, "And don't even talk about what Chris did as being a bad thing! Rose is like a mother to Harry! He's already lost one, don't make him lose another! Or a father! You'd do the exact same thing as Chris if you had the knowledge and if Dad was in the same situation!"

Andromeda lowered her head and nodded silently, and didn't speak again. "What will you tell Harry?" Hermione asked quietly, and Harry sighed – thankful at least that they were helping keep his cover.

"I'll tell him the truth. It's good you two are here; I'll be too busy being by Rose's side and Harry'll need some friends to be there for him." He turned his head towards the parents of the girls at his side and nodded. "If you're okay with that of course. Both Hermione and Tonks will be very safe, I assure you. As for your safety I'll have some of my people tasked to your protection – I wouldn't wish what has happened on anybody. They'll introduce themselves to you."

Both sets of parents appeared to confer silently between them, and eventually Andromeda and Dan nodded. The former spoke with a small sigh. "I apologise for what I said… it's just I'm a lawyer and I was thinking about the legal ramifications of what you did – but you're right; I'd do just what you did if I was in the same situation. It's fine if Nymphadora stays. Will you still drop her off?"

Harry nodded. "Of course. Though… would you mind if they stayed another night? Harry's going to have a hard time with this, and it'd probably do some good for Rose when she wakes up too. She'll want to know the damage, and if… I'm not trying to put you to in this position," he assured Hermione and Tonks, "but… it'd really help if you both told her that she's still pretty."

They both nodded readily and he smiled, relieved, before looking to the Grangers and raising an eyebrow. "Is that okay?"

Dan nodded, but looked reluctant. "Are you sure they'll be safe? I mean…"

Harry knew that he was referring to the fact that Rose had been kidnapped in this very house, and nodded firmly. "That's only because somebody slipped a portkey onto her beforehand. I erected the anti-portkey wards and apparation wards up after Elise left."

Dan nodded, looking relieved. "Okay then – that's fine." He looked to his wife who was still staring at Harry somewhat disbelievingly for what he'd done, and then back to Harry. "Well we'll be off then. Call or mail us if you need to. And tell Rose, if it'll help any, that looks don't mean anything." Harry gave a weak smile and Hermione's parents walked out, and Ted walked over before gripping his shoulder much like Elise had done. "Wish her well for us Chris." Harry smiled and nodded, and Andromeda and Ted walked out of the kitchen as well. As soon as the sound of the door closing reached his ears he buried his head in his hands and cried.

Anger, pain, helplessness, sorrow, everything tore through him like a tidal wave and escaped through his tears, and both Tonks and Hermione rubbed his back in tandem and hugged him as they tried to soothe his turbulent mind. It took several minutes before they calmed enough for him to function again, and he gave a watery smile at Tonks when she conjured a tissue for him; as she wasn't underage anymore. He wiped at his eyes and Hermione looked up at him. "Are you going to change back?" He looked down at her, confused, and she looked up at him equally confused after a moment. "I mean are you going to take of the glamour?"

He looked down at his body and sighed before burying his face in his hands and groaning. "This… damn it this is the worst possible time!" He shook his head and sighed, but relaxed slightly as the alcohol hit his bloodstream and made his head feel a little lighter; taking the edge of all the emotions burning through him. "There is no glamour," he explained lowly, "this is me."

Hermione looked a little shocked and shuffled back so she could take him in in his entirety. "What do you mean this is you?"

"I took a permanent aging potion so that Rose wouldn't look out of place at the Christmas party we held for her family… but that's beside the point. This is me because I'm not eleven. _Technically_ I'm twenty seven years old."

Now Tonks shuffled back as well, looking just as confused as Hermione. "I don't get it."

He laughed bitterly, "No… it's almost impossible to 'get' the first time you hear it. Rose knows; her mental shields are nearly as impenetrable as mine. If I tell you this now then you're going to need to convince your parents that staying here for the next _week_ to comfort 'Harry' is a good idea, because your shields need to be boosted until not even an attack under Veritaserum will faze you."

Both girls looked to each other before nodding and Harry sighed before nodding back. Over the next two hours he explained to them just what he was, and was surprised to find both of them accepting, though Hermione was distraught when he described the version of her he had left behind in the past timeline. She was equally as thankful he had pushed her away from that path. There was only minor disbelief, because it described his capabilities and power perfectly, and Hermione quickly assured Harry that she didn't think he was sick for still liking her. She told him that after reading the 'Book of Unbelievable Wizarding World Facts' she wasn't really disturbed by much anymore, and her morals had taken quite a hammering before being remade. He had just served the pair some drinks when Sirius arrived back with Marlene. Tonks had jumped out of her skin despite having had Harry tell her that Sirius was innocent, and was half-way to her wand before she realized what she was doing and grinned sheepishly before telling her relative, "Sorry, knee-jerk reaction."

Sirius looked to Harry and raised an eyebrow when he saw the half-empty bottle of rum by his godson's elbow. "What the hell happened?"

Sirius quickly joined Harry in drinking when the young man described what they had missed, and Marlene looked distraught. Even though she'd only known Rose for four days she had struck up an easy friendship with the woman, and hearing she had been so grievously injured was like a punch in the gut. Harry finally stood and wavered slightly as he acclimatized to the alcohol in his blood, before leading the procession through to the master bedroom. With a deep breath he opened the doors and walked in, and heard muted gasps from behind him when eyes locked onto the levitated Rose.

Elise had carved a rune of her own design into the floor that would keep the young woman weightless and floating so as not to put any pressure on the wounds underneath the bandages, and Rose looked almost peaceful in her unconsciousness.

"The ritual," Harry explained lowly as he waved his hand to conjure a seat by his lover's side, "disconnected her brain from her body for its duration so that the subliminal pain from such a procedure would not damage her sanity. When she awakens she will experience pain unlike anything she has ever before felt. Her new nerves are being forcefully reconnected to her system, and the new skin still has to fully fuse together. Her new muscles have to attach themselves to her bones and ligaments will need to be reformed. Her entire body is under paralysis saves her internal organs. She won't be able to move, scream… do anything saves move her eyes, breathe, and take care of… bodily functions."

"But… but the pain'll drive her mad, won't it?" Sirius asked quietly, and Harry nodded with a deep breath.

"Yeah. Normally. With the potions already working on her… well I can't administer any other potions without killing her. Pain-killing spells will disrupt the potions too, so the only way for me to bring the pain down enough that she'll be able to think clearly and preserve her sanity is synchronize my mind with hers and take on some of the pain myself."

"Merlin Harry, that's bloody risky!"

He shrugged carelessly, "I'm more used to pain than she is. I've lain broken in a dark cupboard for hours before, and I've had the Cruciatus curse held on me for days straight. I've been trained to withstand such pain – it takes a lot to drive me insane. A lot. I'll take on a Cruciatus worth and leave her with something resembling the Torqueo curse."

"You seem to know a lot about the amount of pain she'll experience."

Harry looked to Tonks and nodded with a shrug. "Sure. I experienced the same as she did in the past timeline, only it was just my legs. Half my body – just like her." Everybody winced, and Harry sighed. "But it brought me to breaking point, and my healer at that time wasn't really inclined to take on any of my pain. The pain will fade a little after around three days when the muscles and nerves are finished fusing into her system. I'll-" He stiffened when he felt Rose's aura tweak, and quickly lay down on the bed before hauling in deep breaths and repeating his Occlumency key in his head. As soon as he sunk into his mindscape he pushed out with his magic and aura to find Rose's and then had a sort of conversation with it. It was all subconscious, but when she felt that somebody wanted to take pain away it immediately gave him limited access to her.

He latched onto her pain receptors and tethered them to a packet of magic he kept in the space where the horcrux he once had resided, and within seconds felt it begin to drain steadily as the pain ate away at it. He withdrew from his mindscape after setting it to reattach to his body once the magic was depleted, and sat up before rushing to Rose. Her one visible eye opened blearily before snapping open as the pain made itself known, and he gripped her uninjured hand before squeezing. Her eye jerked to look at him, and he smiled reassuringly down at her. "I know this hurts love, I know it does, but I'm here. You're going to be alright." Her eye softened and he gently reached into her mind with legilimency – his probe waiting just outside her protections. She allowed a bridge, and he suddenly found himself able to communicate with her.

'_Why? Why am I hurting so much?'_

He shook his head and gripped her hand slightly tighter. "What do you last remember?"

'_I… I remember seeing the Granger family, and then I felt something like a portkey… and then nothing… just blank.'_

He sighed and nodded understandingly. "Your mind has repressed the memory of what happened… it's probably a good thing. Now before you start freaking out Love, I need you to look at me and listen very closely."

She blinked in understanding. '_Okay, I'm listening.'_

"I love you. I will always love you. I said I don't do short term relationships and I mean it Rose. You are, and always will be a beautiful woman. Everybody here agrees with me – Tonks and Hermione are here, as well as Sirius and Marlene."

'_Harry,_' he could hear the worry in her voice, '_why can't I see out of my left eye? Does it have something to do with the pain?_'

He nodded and sighed. "Yeah, it has something to do with the pain. Your right side is covered in bandages."

Her voice in her mind became almost distraught. '_Harry, what happened? Tell me now!'_

"You were portkeyed into the middle of a battle between two rivalling clans of Vampires from what I can gather," he explained softly and calmly in an attempt to ease her mind, "it was brutal and bloody. I apparated in and you were in the middle of a brawl of Vampires. You were fighting, but you were weakening. Before I could get to you…" he faltered but heaved a breath in and continued, "before I could get to you the French Ministry turned up. The first Auror on the scene used fiendfire and cast it at the group of Vampires you were in."

Understanding bloomed in her eye and a horrified whisper echoed between their mental link. _'No…'_

He nodded, pain in his eyes. "I did all I could. I shielded you with my aura… but it wasn't enough to stop most of the heat – and that heat was tainted by the Pitch magic of my aura."

'_No… no Harry, this can't be happening!'_

"Sweetheart," he said firmly and leaned right over her face as he shook his head, "I love you. I will always love you and be in love with you. You're alive, and you're healing."

'_Bu-but the Pitch magic! The Pitch magic will-'_

"Yeah…" he sighed, supressing his own tears as they started running from her visible eye. He swiped it away with the pad of her thumb and then grunted as the last of his magic in his scar was used up. He crunched over with a muffled curse as pain equalling the Cruciatus stabbed into his body, and heaved in several deep breaths to gather himself once more. He could feel the pain scratching at the ice covering his mind and winced as he sat back up straight to see Rose's eye staring at him with worry. He waved his hand airily. "It's nothing."

'_It is not nothing,'_ she disagreed firmly, '_you never show pain! What have you done?'_

He sighed. He wouldn't lie to her, and besides, what was she going to do? Her mind wasn't going to let her sever the connection allowing him to channel her pain away. "I'm taking some of your pain. Without me doing this you'd probably go insane."

He could hear a rebuke starting in her mind but it trailed off before it could take form. '_You'll be okay?'_

He laughed and shook his head before staring down at her with a grin – a genuine grin. "See? You're injured and you're asking how _I_ am."

A moment later Hermione and Tonks joined Harry's side and smiled down at Rose before waving slightly. "Wotcher Rose," Tonks greeted with a smile, "I'm… well I suppose you can call me Nym. Harry calls me Nym, but, well, if things are going to happen then isn't it fair you can call me that too?"

Harry heard some laughter in Rose's mind. _'I like her more already._'

"She says she likes you more already." Tonks grinned widely, and Hermione leaned forwards before giving a slightly tight and nervous smile.

"Um, well, I'm Hermione."

Rose's eye jerked to Harry's. '_She's terrified. How bad is it?'_

"It's… it's bad love."

'_How__ bad?'_ She left no room for tiptoeing around the answer and Harry sighed before rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Thirty percent of your body at least; pretty much the whole of your right side. The front of your torso and bottom of your leg got out best. Your back suffered the worst – but your entire left side was pretty well shielded by the right."

'_And the Pitch magic means…'_

Her internal voice wavered with realization and Harry nodded with a wince. "Yeah. You'll have pretty serious scarring."

A few seconds silence followed, and then a pained wail from inside her mind. Her eye closed as more tears poured out and Harry sat down before resting his head against her undamaged side as he closed his eyes and forced back his tears. _'Oh God!'_

He scrunched his eyes closed further at the heart-wrenching keen, and shook his head. "No, no Rose you stop thinking that right now! You're still the love of my life, you hear! I'll never leave you, and this isn't a disability. You're going to have full mobility, Rose, and you're going to get better!"

'_I'm going to be scarred!' _ she all but yelled as her brown eye snapped open and stared into his emerald, '_I'm going to be disfigured for the rest of my life! At least before I looked okay! Now I'm burned! THIRTY PERCENT OF MY BODY IS BURNED! IT'S NEVER GOING TO BE FULLY HEALED! I'M SCARRED FOR __LIFE__ HARRY!'_

"And I don't give a shit!" he roared back, and everybody in the room jerked back in shock saves Rose who could only stare at him as he almost _glared_ down at her. "I don't love you for your looks, Rose! And even if I did I'd still love you! You're going to have scars, Rose, yes; a lattice of scars covering thirty percent of your body, but it isn't as bad as you think; it's nowhere near as bad as you think! You're alive, and I'm in love with you. You're still beautiful; still amazing; still wonderful. Even if your entire body was covered in scars I wouldn't care, Rose. Even if you were completely paralysed I wouldn't care. Even if you were _dead_ I wouldn't care! I'll always love you, so stop thinking you're not worthy right this second!"

He could sense her confusion even before she pushed it across their tenuous mental link. "Elise told me," he informed her quietly, his voice calm once more. "She knew you would have this reaction when I told you… and you'll likely relapse once I take the bandages off. I would swear an oath that I still think you're beautiful if it would make you believe me. I still thought you were beautiful before we started healing you." She stared up at him, and he could feel slightly, almost like a brush against his mind, her emotions slowly calming.

'_You said a lattice of scars_,' she suddenly pushed to him, and he nodded with a small smile as he dabbed away the tears from her skin.

"Yeah, a lattice. I used a Pitch magic ritual to heal you. It replaced your burned skin with… well the best way to put it is 'patches' of new skin. You won't have… burn scars, which are all-covering; more like cut scars between the patches of skin."

'_Pitch… you mean other people's skin_.' He could hear the disgust and he shook his head hurriedly to dispel the notion.

"No, your skin. The ritual used the raw material of the sacrifices, yes, but it's _your_ skin; your DNA. It synthesized new skin."

He could feel her emotions calm once more and her relief was palpable. _'Thank Merlin… so the scars… how thick will they be?'_

He shook his head. "I don't know. We won't know until they're fully healed, which'll take several weeks."

She nodded, albeit reluctantly, and then turned back to look at Hermione in sudden realization. Harry chuckled after a moment and turned to the young girl. "Rose apologises for being so rude. She greeted Tonks but not you. She says it's a pleasure to meet you, and she's glad that you're not all 'Harry's a paedophile' about everything."

Hermione giggled slightly, and Rose's eye cleared for a moment. Harry could feel the relief over the bond. Hermione looked down at her and smiled. "Harry's right. I saw you getting healed and even with the scars you'll still be beautiful. The patches of skin aren't tiny so it won't be like… scar beside scar beside scar."

Harry listened to the pushed thought for a moment and frowned in thought. "I don't know… maybe three, maybe four centimetres squared?"

Tonks leaned over and rested her hand on Rose's shoulder with a smile. "'Sides, scars are kinda hot."

She winked at the paralysed woman and Harry laughed as he got Rose's return thought. "She says that that generally applies to _men_, Nym."

Tonks had the good grace to look sheepish, and Harry heard Rose laugh in her mind. That night Harry hadn't deprived her of her midnight kiss, and she had enjoyed it immensely before giving tentative permission for him to kiss Tonks and Hermione. It had been soft and short for both of them, but tender and filled with possibilities for the future. Both girls had been very happy about it, and right afterwards Tonks took the initiative and leaned over to Rose and kissed her too. Rose had been shocked at first, but conveyed to Harry that she had enjoyed it very much. Hermione had been more reluctant to kiss Rose, still unsure about being romantic with a girl, but Tonks had kissed her without warning to break her never-ending circle of doubt.

Suffice to say it was broken quite unfixable.

After breaking their kiss and looking quite dazed Hermione had leaned over and returned the favour to Rose, and all women had shared a smile – albeit with Harry having to convey Rose's happiness to them both from her thoughts. Over the next three days Harry and the girls pretty much stayed in his room constantly, with Sirius and Marlene dropping by a couple of times each day as well as Elise every evening. Each time Harry had taken off the bandages to change them he covered Rose's eyes so she couldn't see the wounds as they were still open and rather messy. She had been furious that he wouldn't let her see her own body, but calmed down when he told her why. Once he explained that he didn't want her working herself into depression overseeing the 'unfinished product' as he put it, she had calmed and actually agreed that it would be for the best.

During the day Harry would teach the girls his proper version of Occlumency almost without break, and translate for Rose who was still paralyzed. During the few breaks they had as well as the evenings which Harry left free everybody got to know each other better; Harry, Tonks, and Hermione sitting up on the bed with Rose hovering over their laps thanks to Harry's spell work. Any contact stayed to kisses at most, albeit with Tonks and Rose Harry allowed himself to be a little more passionate because of their ages. It had taken some time for Hermione to get comfortable in admitting that she didn't mind Tonks or Rose's affections, and a little more to start initiating close contact herself, but by the sixth day; the day before they were due back home, she had managed by kissing Tonks goodnight; full on the lips.

It was on the seventh day that Harry finally deemed Rose ready to look at herself, and Tonks and Hermione held her hand and shoulder respectively as Harry unravelled the bandages and conjured a full-length mirror to hover above Rose's body. The red-haired woman was still for several seconds before she started crying. The right side of her body was covered in a spider-web of distinctly red, inflamed, and weeping tissue, but Harry had quickly brought his head over hers and kissed her; ignoring the slight saltiness of plasma from the skin on edge of the right side of her lip; blocking her view of the mirror with his face when he pulled back and looked right into her eyes. "It looks worse than it is, love. The redness will disappear fully, the swelling will go down, the wounds will close up and become white lines of scar tissue… its fine love, you'll be fine."

'_And what about my hair?_'

He smiled and nodded. "It'll grow back. The potions Elise gave you during the healing are long-lasting and are preventing it from growing back so it doesn't cause irritation. When the scar tissue has formed completely and the wounds are gone your hair will start growing back."

Her breath came out sharply in relief and he smiled before stroking her cheek. He'd gotten Dobby to drop Hermione and Tonks back at their houses, but not before kissing them both quite soundly and telling them that he looked forward to getting closer. Unfortunately the Christmas holidays were over the next day and he was due back at Hogwarts, but Rose understood. She had gotten him to swear an oath in the end, and the result of him still being alive reassured her completely that he still thought her beautiful, and was still very much in love with her. It assuaged her worries, and allowed her emotions to calm even further. Harry contacted all of her academic tutors that knew Legilimency and got a schedule running for the next week before he could sneak out and visit the following weekend, and both Sirius and Marlene promised to keep his lover company. Elise was more than happy to come around thrice daily and change the bandages and salve as required.

That night he levitated her onto the bed and slept by her side, and in the morning Rose admitted that it was the best night's sleep since she'd been injured. Both had been reluctant in parting, and it had eventually taken Sirius casting a stinging hex at Harry's bum to get him to weave his glamour to make him appear eleven once more and then apparate to King's Cross station. He was joined quite quickly by Hermione and Tonks in his compartment, and Fred and George Weasley even joined the small group before taking part in the conversation. They gave the three privacy as the girls asked about Rose, and then quite quickly proceeded to lighten the mood as soon as they were finished.

As Harry stepped out of the Hogwarts Express and looked up at Hogwarts after the journey he wondered just what else was coming in the war. He wondered just what he was going to do to the son of a bitch who'd planted the portkey on Rose when he found him. He wondered about a lot of things as they rode almost silently up to the castle and into the Great Hall to sit down and re-join the students that had stayed for the holiday, but his introspective wonderings were quite promptly blown apart when Dumbledore stood up and cleared his throat. "Welcome back, and Flabawaba Jellybean Mars Bars!"

As food appeared on the table the only thought in Harry's, and most of the Hall's occupants, mind was '_What the hell does that man smoke?'_


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Well this chapter contains a lemon, and I will warn you that Hermione gets some action - and yes, she is eleven. If you don't like it then don't read; if I get flames for this then I'm going to be pissed. Otherwise, enjoy!**

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Harry was almost bouncing off the walls with impatience, and everybody in the Slytherin dorms was picking up on it… and steering well clear. He'd been full of energy since the beginning of the day, and the final classes had suffered… unfortunate incidents that closely resembled pranks. Everybody knew it was Harry, but they just couldn't prove it. He was even restless when he taught his Occlumency class the night before, and Flitwick had offered to take over the lesson around half-way through because of it.

What nobody save Tonks and Hermione knew was that his anticipation was because it was the end of the school week, and he could easily disappear during the weekend claiming solitude as an excuse. Hogwarts was more than happy to assist in deceiving the Headmaster and any inquisitive professors. As soon as the students started trickling out of the Common Room to head to bed, casting sidelong glances at Harry as they did so, he moved. Darting into his room he quickly grabbed the invisibility cloak Dumbledore had sent him at Christmas, minus compulsion charms that led to the Mirror of Erised, dropped the glamour, and then disappeared after telling Hogwarts that Operation Roscape was A-Go.

The name was Tonks' idea, and Harry wasn't completely sure she was sober at the time.

He weaved silently around those left in the Common Room and escaped into the dungeon corridor, and then made his way to the One-Eyed-Witch passage. He bumped into an empty piece of air half-way there and had heard a muttered curse, quickly identifying the owner as Tonks. He'd ordered an invisibility cloak for her and Hermione on Monday for this specific purpose, and the invisibility charms would only last another twenty four hours; the maximum amount of time such cloaks could retain the charms. Of course as his cloak was _the_ cloak of invisibility he didn't have to worry about such things.

They only had to wait for a minute before Hermione showed up, and Harry led them quickly into the secret passage. As soon as the entrance closed behind them everybody uncovered themselves and Harry smiled at his two girlfriends as he walked. "Any trouble?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Michael Corner was trying to get me to 'study' with him, and I had to escape to my dorm. He even tried to follow me, and Flitwick showed up to tell him off when the alarms went off."

Tonks rolled her eyes, "Idiot."

Harry laughed and took their hands as they walked the last few meters to the edge of the wards. As soon as they cleared he apparated them away, and they popped into existence just shy of the Fidelius. He immediately pulled them over the threshold to prevent any similar portkey incidents as Rose's, and breathed a sigh of relief as he walked towards the front door. Apparation and portkeys were completely locked down after Rose's kidnapping. As soon as they entered they made their way to the master bedroom, and opened it to find Elise raising her wand. She looked over her shoulder and smiled when she saw who it was, and lowered her arm. "Harry, Tonks, Hermione, I was just about to change over the bandages."

The three all moved over to Rose's undamaged side so that they were in sight of her uncovered eye, and Harry immediately formed a link to her mind before smiling warmly. "I missed you too love. I wouldn't miss this for the world." Her eye twinkled and he nodded with a small chuckle before leaning down and kissing her tenderly on the part of her lips that didn't have bandages across it. "I love you too." Tonks and Hermione both kissed her in greeting once Harry had pulled away, and Harry smiled joyously. "Rose says that she can safely say she loves you too – not in love, but she still loves you."

Tonks looked deeply touched, and smiled before reaching down and stroking Rose's cheek, while Hermione sniffled with emotion. "I love you too Rose," Tonks murmured as she kissed her lips once more, and Hermione popped up a moment later after a small sniff to clear her nose.

"Me too."

A tear escaped Rose's eye and Hermione leaned down hesitantly, blushing, and kissed it away before beginning to resemble a tomato blush-wise. Elise, Tonks, and Harry chuckled, and the latter pulled Hermione back into an embrace from behind as the former raised her wand once more. Slowly the bandages unwrapped, and Harry could see Rose looking at him instead of the mirror above her. When the salve was wiped away a beaming grin spread across his face, and he knew that both of his girlfriends to his front and right were grinning too. "You look fantastic Rose," he assured her verbally, "just fantastic." The relief was visible in her eyes, and she looked upwards finally to take in her own appearance. "Now that the swelling's gone and the scar tissue is forming… Rose, you're still a knock-out, just as I swore."

Elise ran several diagnostics before smiling at the group. "I think we can release the paralysis to a degree," she said after a moment, "though only slightly. I don't want any of these wounds to re-open so I'll slow down movement to a crawl and allow one centimeter's freedom. I can release your left arm fully however, just as long as you don't stretch it too much because that could pull on your recovering chest wounds."

Rose managed to look indignant without even moving and Harry laughed as he shook his head. "You'll be able to talk again, love, so stop looking so hacked off." Her chest gave a huff and Harry shook his head with a smile before nodding to Elise. She waved her wand in a complex pattern, clearly designed so that her patients' friends or family couldn't sneakily remove the ward, and Rose turned her head a fraction before her lips curved slightly upwards and parted. "I love you Harry."

Hearing her actual voice for the first time in two weeks was almost overwhelming, and he didn't bother hiding the tears that escaped her eyes as he leaned down and gently hugged her; applying only the slightest pressure to her damaged flesh. "I love you too Rose, very much." He pulled away before kissing her softly, and smiled as she slowly poked her tongue through his lips to taste him again. He pulled away after a moment and smiled before making way for both Tonks and Hermione, and they both smiled at Rose when she said, "I love both of you as well."

Both girls' smiles widened as they leaned down and kissed her simultaneously, and Harry's eyes widened as he watched the three-way kiss occur. He felt himself get a little bit tight in the downstairs department and shifted slightly, much to Rose's amusement as Tonks and Hermione pulled away. Her speech was slow, because of the induced lethargy of her movements, but clearly got the point across. "Look like Harry liked that as much as we did."

Hermione eeped when she saw the slight bulge in Harry's pants before blushing hard and looking away, while Tonks grinned appreciatively. "Well I'm glad we could give him a show," she said sultrily, eliciting a groan from Harry, a nervous laugh from Hermione, and a giggle from Rose. Elise reapplied the bandages as the four talked, and cast several charms on Rose's lips and eye to make sure they kept hydrated as she left them both uncovered.

She bade them all goodbye, and Harry threw her a bag of galleons with a wink as she left. She merely chuckled and nodded her thanks; not even bothering to argue about the amount. She knew that Harry was a stubborn bastard and wouldn't give in. Hell, if she argued he'd just give her more to piss her off. "I told you it would get better," Harry teased his lover, and Rose rolled her eyes with a small chuckle.

"Yes you did, now stop gloating."

Harry buffed his fingernails against his robes and got a slap on the shoulder from a giggling Hermione for his trouble. Seeing his girlfriend laughing once more; happy once more… it was as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. Harry was simply content to watch Rose, Hermione, and Tonks interact, and did so for almost three hours before breaking himself away underneath the guise of making dinner. When he arrived in the kitchen he simply cried in relief for several minutes until the tears stopped coming. Sirius came down when he was half-way through making the soup, and greeted him happily, as did Marlene when she arrived several minutes later. They admitted that they'd managed to sit in on Rose's tutors' lessons and learn more about Dark magic, and Harry was more than happy to hear it. Anybody who associated with him needed to know how to handle themselves.

It was just after Harry had spoon-fed Rose the soup he'd made that he found himself completely shocked at a suggestion she made. As Tonks and Hermione got comfortable with Harry on the bed, as that's where they'd all slept during the Christmas holidays, Rose turned her head a fraction and stared at them. "Nym, do you want to make love to Harry?"

Tonks could take quite a fair bit of teasing before she blushed, due in part to her metamorph abilities, but this question had both her hair and face turning bright red. Harry and Hermione were moving their mouths with nothing coming out, and the latter was joining Tonks in the red-face department. Tonks eventually managed a strangled, "What?" and Rose chuckled before looking her dead in the eye.

"I said, Nym, do you want to make love to our boyfriend?" Tonks blushed deeper, but wasn't as flustered this time around. Harry looked down at her as he finally managed to close his mouth, and saw her peek shyly up at him before giving a nod. Harry was actually shocked, but after a moment realized that he shouldn't be. She'd known him for around a month, and she trusted him with her life as well as her heart. "Then make love to him."

Tonks, Hermione, and Harry's heads all snapped to look at the levitated Rose in shock, and found her smiling slightly at them. "Wh-now?"

"Harry, do you love Tonks?"

"Well, yeah bu-"

"Tonks, do you love Harry?"

"…Of course."

"And do you both love me?"

They both nodded, understanding where she was going, and Tonks turned her head upwards to Harry; want clear in her eyes. "Hermione love, come over here and sit down." Hermione moved off the bed and sat down beside Rose, and looked blushingly at the couple still on the bed. She watched, riveted, as Tonks reached up and cupped Harry's cheek before pulling him down into a languid kiss.

"A-are you sure it's okay for us to watch?" Hermione asked weakly, and Rose chuckled slightly before nodding.

"We all love each other, perhaps not _in_ love yet, but we will be soon if we continue on as we are, and I can't see why we wouldn't. One day we'll likely all make love together. I know you're young… but I think you're mature enough to see this. If you don't think you are then feel free to leave – none of us want to make you uncomfortable… but you might want to change into something… looser."

* * *

**A/N: Lemon Alert! Also, if you didn't read the note at the top, Hermione gets some action. If you don't like that, then skip to the next A/N!**

* * *

Hermione jerked her head back to the bed when she heard Tonks moan, and blushed right back to the roots of her hair when she saw Harry's hand underneath the teen's shirt and gently moving against her breast. "W-why looser?"

Rose raised an eyebrow and a small smirk crossed her lips. "Because I know that this is going to get you and me very, very hot and bothered." Hermione blushed deeply, but jerked her head back around to the bed when she heard Tonks give a breathy sigh. She couldn't help but stare at Tonks' ample breasts as Harry suckled on one nipple while gently tweaking the other, and her breathing shallowed as she stared; her blush spreading down into her own cleavage, however undeveloped. She nodded slowly and pulled off her robes before taking off her shirt, and Rose took in a sharp breath as her entire top half was bared naked before her. Harry and Tonks turned their heads towards the noise and found a topless Hermione staring almost dazedly at them.

Harry groaned at the sight of one of his best friends' naked torso, and Tonks licked her lips before slamming them into Harry's with renewed vigor. Tonks groaned into her lover's mouth as he reached down and pressed firmly against her pelvis, and her hips jerked upwards automatically in a desperate bid to gain more pleasure. He felt her grinding and smirked into her kiss, but only for a moment before he groaned as she dug her hand underneath the waistband of his pants and gripped him in her sinfully soft and delicate fingers. She gasped when she felt him begin to harden, and he ground his palm into her once more – getting a long, drawn out moan in return. With his free hand he banished his top and Tonks immediately exploited his finely muscled chest; running her left hand all over it and breaking away from his lips to lean down and bite into his shoulder as she gasped with pleasure.

Rose gently reached out to Hermione and touched her shoulder, and she jerked as she snapped her head towards the touch; her eyes wide and her breathing sharp and shallow. Rose smiled kindly at her and motioned her closer before reaching out and brushing her hand over the rock-hard nubs standing proudly out on the small bumps of her developing breasts. Hermione gasped and closed her eyes at the sensation, and Rose smiled softly to herself as she gently traced lines over the bare skin before occasionally running over her nipples and tweaking them lightly; always eliciting a jerking motion accompanied by a sharp breath of awe.

"'Mione love," Rose managed, a slight whine in her voice, "please?" Hermione cracked open her eyes, fighting against the pleasure. When she saw the blush on Rose's face she cocked her head in confusion, but then the words finally registered and she gasped with equal parts embarrassment at forgetting and what her, well, girlfriend she supposed, was asking her to do. She hesitantly reached towards the knot of Rose's hospital gown, and after receiving an encouraging nod in return pulled on it. It fell away to reveal her breasts and Hermione gasped as she tentatively touched and caressed her uncovered one. She'd never seen a fully grown woman's breasts so close, even when seeing her bandages get changed during the Christmas break, and the way the flesh gave way and was so easily molded by her hands was incredible to her.

Rose mewed softly at her young lover's touch, and Harry cracked an eye open once more to see what was happening; tearing his lips away from Tonks' when he saw his two girlfriends touching each other's breasts. Nymphadora looked over to see why Harry had stopped lavishing her with attention, and instantly understood why. She pulled her wand and banished the last of their clothes as she felt her core almost melt with heat, and then jerked his hand to her dripping center as she stroked his cock. Harry groaned at the sudden contact and looked half-liddedly at the young metamorph, who instantly kissed him the moment his head turned.

All thoughts, for the time being, of Hermione and Rose were blasted out of his head when she suddenly pushed his hand aside, slid hers lower to grasp him at the base, and then shuffled up before sinking herself down onto him. Both moaned in amazement as pleasure burst through their bodies; Harry having his cock squeezed by her hot, slick heat, and Tonks as she was filled up and stretched in ways she'd never been before. She'd broken her hymen when she fell down the stairs a few years earlier, so losing her virginity didn't hurt at all; all that was left was a feeling of fullness and completion, and when her ass finally came to rest against his thighs she opened her eyes and looked at him with warm eyes actually shining with unshed tears. "I love you Harry, I really do."

He smiled at her before leaning in to give a kiss, and then broke away before resting his forehead against hers; smiling at her as he stroked her cheek. "I love you too Nym, don't ever think I don't, okay?"

She nodded and wiped at her eyes, and both turned simultaneously to look at their other two loves. Harry was shocked at just how far they had gone; how far Hermione had agreed to go. Hermione had entered the levitation field and was positioned above Rose; knees either side of her head as the injured woman lapped at her, making her moan and shudder every lick. Her arm was outstretched and four of her fingers were buried as far as they could go inside Rose's pussy. Both were completely naked, apart from Rose's bandages, but Hermione was clearly, despite the pleasure clouding her mind, making sure she put no pressure at all on her injuries.

The sight was incredible, and Harry could see both Rose and Hermione shooting him and Tonks glances filled with passion and lust. When he heard Rose whisper, "Look at them 'Mione, look at how Tonks is completely impaled on his cock; one day you're going to have that inside of you too; filled with Harry," he lost it, and so did Tonks. She raised herself upwards until he was almost completely out of her tight channel, and she mewled at the loss before whimpering deliriously when she let the strength in her legs go and skewered herself once more on his length. Harry gasped when, just for a fleeting moment, he felt the head of his cock rub against her cervix, and Tonks tensed up and let out a long moan before hurriedly lifting herself up and repeating the action.

Harry knew he wouldn't last long and mentally started recalling the Table of Elements to calm himself enough to last until she came as well. Tonks bounced frantically on his cock; moaning and groping at her own breasts; pinching her hard nipples almost violently as her breathing came faster and faster until she was almost hyperventilating. He could feel her walls tightening in on him; trying to milk his seed out of him, and groaned as her insides became even hotter; swathing his cock in pleasure he had only ever felt with Rose. She suddenly slowed, easing down on his cock before rising once more, and stared down at him almost desperately. "Inside, please Harry?"

She didn't wait for an answer before slamming down on him and screaming as her entire body went taught and her back arched; her breasts pushed upwards at the ceiling as her insides spasmed around him. The pleasure was so great he couldn't stand it; he could feel the intense heat rushing through him, and bucked up against her before roaring and grabbing her ass; squeezing as he came deep inside of her; the head of his cock pressed up against her cervix; his come blasting right into her womb, and his aura completely releasing itself in his moment of abandon. She shuddered as her scream petered off, and slowly looked down at him; her eyes glassy and filled with amazement and awe. "I-I can feel it coming inside of me i-it's so hot!"

He merely grunted in return as he slowly relaxed and stopped releasing his seed inside of her, and she collapsed on top of him; his cock slowly softening inside of her and their combined juices leaking out of her. Harry lazily turned his head to the side as he wrapped his lover in his embrace and smiled softly when he saw Hermione cuddled up to Rose's uninjured side gently pressing kisses to her exposed collarbone while Rose smiled softly; her eyes closed as she ran her fingers through Hermione's hair.

* * *

**A/N: Lemon End!**

* * *

"If my parents knew I did this," everybody heard Hermione mutter, "you'd all be dead and I'd be grounded for life." Rose chuckled while Harry and Tonks outright laughed. Hermione pouted, "I'm serious!" The slight mewing sounds she was emitting as Rose stroked her hair deviated from the whole 'serious' image, but she continued on despite the obvious amusement of her lovers. "I mean… why am I so calm about all this even? I should be freaking out, bad! I've just had a mind-blowing orgasm that I've only read about in Mum's romance books, given to me by a woman nine years my senior licking me who also happens to be my girlfriend… while watching the man I've come to love _make_ love with my _other_ girlfriend… and I feel fine… I feel wonderful."

She was genuinely confused at the state of affairs and Harry smiled softly to her as his aura swathed them all – without any fear on their parts. "Well that book you read about what's accepted in the wizarding world likely changed a lot of your views on what's acceptable and what's not, and then there's the fact that I put polygamy to you pretty snappish so you've had time to think about it. My promise that penetration won't happen until your fourth year likely eased your mind and allowed you to relax knowing that… and you know how I feel about you, Rose, and Nym after the week we spent here at Christmas. You saw Rose naked during that time when we changed her bandages, and I think seeing that so many times made you comfortable."

"But still…" she argued, and everybody smiled at her, "Just two months ago I was an authority-loving, naive, friendless little girl… how can I have changed so much? A lifetime of habits broken so fast?"

"Magic," Harry quipped, and Hermione shot him a mock glare much to his amusement as he shrugged. "Well it's true. Magic can do amazing things and who knows; perhaps our magic likes each other and helps you accept the situation? I don't know, but you _have_ changed, and I believe for the better." Harry suddenly remembered something and looked across at his half-aware-half-dozing lover with a grin. "I am, but the way, one of the men that likes small breasts."

She looked confused for a second before laughing slightly and moving more of her body onto his and snuggling to him. "Although that sounded kinda corny Harry, thanks. I like your chest too if it's any consolation."

Harry just chuckled.

For the remainder of the weekend the four just relaxed and got comfortable with the new level of intimacy they all shared. Tonks was by far the least inhibited between Hermione and herself, and while Hermione asked for more time to think and sort out just what she wanted Nym was more than happy to make love with Rose and Harry. Hermione, likewise, watched at points as she blushed furiously, but didn't bare herself again like she had the first time. Harry, Rose, and Tonks all reassured her that they understood that she just got caught up in the moment when she'd seen Harry and Nym making love, and told her that they would in no way hold it against her if she wanted to wait to become comfortable again with joining them.

Unfortunately the weekend had to end sooner or later, and Hermione and Tonks gave Rose and Harry a moment together alone; they both understood that Harry hadn't fallen for them yet, and nor had Rose. Harry walked over to his girlfriend and smiled softly as he took the seat by her side before gently maneuvering her so that her head was in his lap. She smiled up at him and he stroked her almost bare scalp; her hair still unable to grow back until the scar tissue had established itself completely. "Are you sure you're gonna be okay?"

She gave a small chuckle and nodded, "I'll be fine Harry-bear." He twisted his face at the pet-name and Rose laughed, "Okay, no Harry-bear in the future. I've got to have some name for you… Haribo?"

He stared at her, deadpan. "That's a brand of muggle sweet, love. You knew that too, so don't even try looking surprised." Her cheeky grin was all he needed as an answer; she hadn't intended on hiding it. "Let's just stick to love, okay angel?"

She laughed again and shook her head minutely. "There's so many names for women that sound cute… but you're not cute."

"No," he agreed before pulling up his bicep and flexing it with a haughty look on his face, "I'm a ruggedly handsome stud."

"Harry?" He looked down at her with a grin and saw her struggling not to laugh, "Never say that to a woman you're trying to pick up."

His expression softened and he shrugged. "No problem; I've picked up all the women I'll ever need or want."

Her expression changed to match his and her arm came up to stroke his cheek as she smiled warmly up at him. "That's sweet."

He leaned down and kissed her lips gently, careful to not apply too much pressure to the still-healing skin on the right. "Just comes out when I'm with you or the girls."

"And…"

"And I'm absolutely vulgar and undignified around anybody else," he replied without pause, and she grinned – even if it came across as only a small smile because of the movement restriction spell she was under.

"Aren't you an angel?"

"No, but you are," he shot back cheekily, and she rolled her eyes with another chuckle.

"You'd best leave now before I start calling you snookie-wookums or foofie poops."

Harry's face twisted all over again, "You start calling me that and we're having a trial separation."

"Okay Pookie Bookie Boo Bear."

He stared at her, emotionless for a moment before standing up. "I am leaving right now before you come up with something even more appalling than that. That's just plain cringe-worthy."

She laughed musically before reaching up, and he grinned before leaning down and capturing her lips one last time. "Love you Rose, and you're just as beautiful as always… if anything those scars are going to be like a… a feature wall."

She raised her visible eyebrow, and a small, amused smile quirked the edge of her lips. "…A feature wall?"

He shrugged helplessly as he stood up again and tried to come up with how to explain it. "I… I think it'll make you look kinda ethereal. I mean the scars are going to be pretty thin, and they'll peter our and become fainter as they merge into the healthy skin… so it'll look quite amazing I think."

She stared up at him, surprised at his explanation, and he hurriedly raised his hands and waved them when he misinterpreted her expression. "Not that I think what you went through is in any way a good thing, but I'm just trying to say that your scars aren't going to make you look any less beautiful… just different."

Rose thought about it a bit more and then smiled slightly. "I know… and I've never… thank you. I mean, as Elise told you, I was always a bit… concerned I was too plain to be with you."

He grinned and shrugged, "We're a matching pair now. You've got scars, I've got scars… now we just need to bring 'Mione and Nym into the scar-hood."

She laughed and shook her head, forcing a mock angry look onto her face, "Now look here Mister Potter, you are not to go and try get those two some scars!"

He laughed, "Love, trouble seems to find _me_, not the other way around."

She knew that from the stories he'd told her, and just lately Nym and Hermione, about his past life, and some of this life too. "Be careful love," she said with a smile, and he smiled back with a nod.

"I will. Heal fast."

"I will," she returned with a smile, and with one last peck Harry walked out the door to join Tonks and Hermione. "Now," he said as he stood in front of them, "I've been apparating because it's easier and I can do it without help, and also to get both of you accustomed to it, but with Hermes we can flame to Hogwarts, and out."

Hermione gasped with remembrance, "Your phoenix!"

He laughed and nodded, "Right. I like to leave him alone as much as I can because he has a life as well, in fact he goes around magical creature colonies for me and communicates with them; builds up trust so that when war hits Britain we're prepared and have allies. Of course the creatures I'm talking about are generally considered Dark; demons, Nundu, basilisks, vampires, veela, Acromantula, lethifolds, chimera, that kind of thing."

"But… aren't phoenixes light creatures?"

Harry nodded, and then held up his hand before calling with his magic. With a flash of black flames Hermes appeared in all his glory; his wings spread regally outwards and his beak pointing up towards the ceiling. "He's a show off, excuse the arrogant arse." Hermes turned to him and cuffed him over the head with his wing for that comment before salvaging what little dignity it still had and turning back to Tonks and Hermione, both of whom were staring at it in awe. "Hermes," Harry continued with a small mock-glare at the egotistical bird, "didn't suddenly show up and ask to bond to me like I told you."

"Well then… how did you bond?" Hermione was clearly confused, as was Tonks if her frown was anything to go by, and Harry smiled.

"We were bonded the very moment Hermes came into existence, however I still can't explain just why on Earth he's such a cheeky little shit to me." He earned himself another cuff over the head for that, and Hermes' icy blue eyes glared at him as he ruffled his feathers. He turned back to his two girlfriends to see what they thought of that, and was highly amused when he saw them both just as confused, if not more so, than they had been before. "Hermione, or Tonks, what is a phoenix?"

Hermione chewed cutely on her lip, and Harry had to resist the urge to lean down and kiss her for it. "A legendary Arabian bird said to periodically burn itself to death and emerge from the ashes as a new phoenix; according to most versions only one phoenix lived at a time and it renewed itself every 500 years."

Harry laughed and shook his head with a grin, "A textbook-perfect explanation. I didn't expect anything less. Information on phoenixes is notoriously hard to come by however; they are elusive to the point of being a one-in-a-lifetime thing, and many people go their whole lives without seeing one in the flesh as the case may be. Phoenixes, however, are actually physical manifestations of magic; concentrated magic that many cannot even fathom. I suppose you could say they are sentient creatures made up of and created by pure magic."

"Well then how are they created?"

Harry smiled and nodded to Hermes, and the bird nodded back before disappearing in a wave of black flames that, although they touched Harry, didn't seem to even faze him. "A good question and one that is surprisingly easy to answer… albeit somewhat unbelievable."

"God?"

Harry laughed and shook his head in answer to Hermione's shocked question. "No, nothing so transcending. They are created by magicals; humans." Both Tonks and Hermione gaped at him, and he laughed even harder. "The look on your faces!"

Hermione developed a small tick on her right eyebrow at being laughed at, but finally managed to calm herself enough to ask the question in the forefront of her mind. "So Dumbledore-"

"Oh no, no," Harry assured her, "most definitely not. Fawkes was created by Godric Gryffindor."

"But… why couldn't Dumbledore have created Fawkes?"

Harry sighed and conjured three chairs before motioning for them to sit after sitting himself. "Dumbledore isn't dark, and he isn't light. If he was light then he wouldn't have sealed my parents' wills which expressly stated that I was not to be placed with the Dursleys, and then put me there. If he was dark then I'd likely be under the imperius right now so that I'd become the martyr he wants be to eventually be."

Hermione opened her mouth in shock, "M-Martyr? But that means-"

"He expects me to die? Yes. I had, please note the '_had'_, a horcrux in my head; a piece of Voldemort's soul." The expected horrified expressions met his eyes and he grinned before holding up his hands, "I said 'had'. It didn't follow me back into this timeline, in fact I absorbed it in the previous one and gained its knowledge – but that's neither here nor there. What I'm trying to say is that Dumbledore couldn't create a phoenix because he's not aligned strongly enough. One needs to be either Dark or Light to have the ability to create a phoenix, and even then it's hard to do. It took me three weeks to create Hermes; three weeks of constant meditation to gather my aura in such a concentration that it could birth such a being. It left me weakened for months as my magic and aura rebuilt. It's why Hermes is a _Dark_ phoenix; he was created from my aura and magic."

Hermione was almost rabid as she stared at him with wide eyes. "That's incredible!"

"One day I might be able to teach you how to do it," he said off-handedly, and Hermione froze before a gleeful expression burst over her face.

Tonks slapped a hand onto her forehead and shook her head as she glared at Harry. "You know what you've done?" Harry looked confused, but his confusion only lasted ten seconds whereupon he was set upon by an ecstatic, knowledge-seeking young woman. As he apparated them back to Hogwarts she continued the question she'd been avidly asking as if the trip hadn't happened; as he talked with Neville who had agreed to keep lookout and run interference as they were gone she was muttering under her breath; as Harry trained Tonks, Neville, and herself in the Dark Arts her duels, and indeed all of his, were smattered with questions about the sentience of magic and, upon his saying no, it wasn't sentient, speculations and theories about transfiguration of energy into consciousness.

Harry had inadvertently created a monster. Rose thought it was hilarious the next weekend, as he was visiting alone, more of an excuse to get away from the tunnel-visioned girl. "You should've seen that coming," she grinned up at him as he applied the healing salve over her slowly forming scars, "I mean you may have broken her from becoming a horrid person, or one that takes everything authority says as truth, but she'll always be a knowledge seeker."

He stared deadpan down at her and his finger halted mid-motion. "A small reminder would have been helpful, love."

She smirked; the tight, new skin on her right side wrinkling as it slowly got used to movement. "You're an international businessman." It didn't take a genius to get what Rose was insinuating: her silent 'Mr. Smarty Pants' went very much heeded by her lover, much to his pouting as he reached up and poked her nose.

She giggled and Elise walked in, smiling at the scene. Rose's scars had finally established themselves as tissue, though she still kept the compression charms over the right side of her body to keep the wounds pressed together so they wouldn't split open again. It would be another several weeks before they would be removed. Apart from that small fact, Rose was looking far better than she had done the previous weekend. The redness had all but disappeared; the lacerations had begun forming tenuous connections over-top as scar tissue begun forming; the swelling had gone almost completely down, and Harry had made sure that he had told her just how great she looked.

Although she was happy with his words, and believed that _he_ believed them, she knew that the public would be far less accepting. Scarring was all but nonexistent in the wizarding world, quite simply because virtually all injuries could be healed completely with time. She loved that Harry still thought her beautiful and sexy, and that Hermione and Tonks had told her as much as well. The looks in their eyes of genuine attraction and appreciation went a long ways into convincing her of their sincerity, but she knew they were the minority. She was a muggleborn, which was bad enough in British wizarding society, but to be disfigured on top of that? She would be scorned and looked down upon, teased and laughed at, and the knowledge that she only had a small group of people that would still treat and see her as she had been before was a depressing thought.

Harry had been trying to track down just who had hurt Rose, but whoever had done it had covered their tracks very well. Without the magical footprint of the portkey there was virtually nothing Harry could do saves tell members of The Syndicate, his underground group, to listen out for any rumors. Indeed it was one of several reasons Harry hadn't reported the attack to the DMLE. He trusted Amelia Bones, as much as he could a ministerial worker, but if it was an attack from an influential person it could do more harm than good. He was almost certain it _was_ an influential person due to the thoroughness and sophistication of the kidnapping.

He sighed as he finished slathering the last of the salve onto Rose's recovering skin and then cast the appropriate charm to get the bandages to do what they were supposed to, all the while under the watchful eye of Elise. He'd not taken to healing as a topic of study in the previous timeline, but after seeing Rose attacked so brutally, hurt so gravely, he had vowed to never be so helpless to his loved ones again, and Elise had gladly taken him on as a student.

She left after a few minute's critiquing his work as well as giving some pointers, and Harry carefully maneuvered Rose onto the bed before setting up several wards that would allow her to spoon to his back and yet stay safe from any violent movements he made in his sleep. She smiled as she slowly got comfortable; still very tentative in her movements due to the tenderness of her recovering injuries. As her good cheek finally came to rest against the back of his shoulder she sighed. "What am I going to do?"

Harry turned his head a fraction in the darkness, a frown marring his brow. "What are you going to do?" he parroted back in confusion, and she nodded slightly.

"What am I going to do with my life now?" she clarified, "I mean I can't work at Madam Malkin's anymore."

"Why on Earth not?"

She sighed again; however business-savvy her boyfriend was, he was still woefully ignorant of many hard truths. "She would take me back on as an assistant as quickly as you could say 'Merlin', but I couldn't do that to her. The way I look would disgust customers—and don't you try and tell me otherwise," she cut in, feeling his body draw in a breath to begin disagreeing. "I love that you love me, still, but others won't. I'm lucky I have a boyfriend and two girlfriends that love me, and Mistress Erin wouldn't care if my entire face was burned off… but the rest of the world isn't so nice. You know it, deep down, and so do I. I'm not going to hurt the woman who helped me survive after my parents died, so what am I going to do?"

Harry sunk into thought. He felt guilty for not thinking of this issue sooner, but it was also in part due to him wanting to believe that the rest of the world would accept Rose again. It was wishful thinking, now that he truly thought about it. It reminded him once more why he was doing what he was doing; one day he wanted not just Rose to be able to walk down the street and be treated normally, but werewolves, goblins, centaurs; all manner of creatures too. He would not settle for anything less than complete equality being accepted by the majority. "Welllllll…" he drawled out thoughtfully, "there's a lot of things you could do. I mean, you're training to be Potion's Mistress, which is huge, and now that you've decided not to work you've got more time to work on that among other things. You could help out with The Syndicate; work with Marlene down at the Shelter; travel; study; take some correspondence courses at muggle universities… whatever you want to do Rose, I'll do my utmost to make it happen."

He felt her kiss the skin of his shoulder, and then a smile press itself against it. "Thank you."

"No need, it's what lovers do."

Her smile widened and she shuffled minutely to get more contact against him. "I think I'll talk to Marlene tomorrow and ask if she needs some potions brewed. Do you think Mistress Erin would mind continuing with the current schedule?"

"She adores you," Harry fired back with a smile in his voice, "I don't think she's ever had this much fun before when it comes to teaching. We can talk to her tomorrow and discuss what we want to do, okay?"

"Okay," she replied sleepily, and then kissed his skin once more before leaning firmly again him and closing her eyes. "Goodnight love."

Harry smiled in the darkness, his eyes casting a very faint green glow on the pillow beneath his head before he too closed his eyes. "Sweet dreams Angel."


	11. Chapter 11

Harry Potter looked across at Neville, Hermione, and Tonks, all of whom were staring at the chess board in front of them with muted shock. 'You have _got_ to be kidding me," Neville managed after a moment, and Harry shook his head.

"Nope. This here is what Dumbledore considers adequate protection of an almost priceless stone."

"That's… really? Why a chessboard though?"

"Well," Harry speculated, wary of divulging anything hinting towards his past timeline in front of Neville, whom he trusted but not quite to that extent yet, "I think he designed it with Ronald Weasley in mind. It's one of the only things he's competent at."

Neville frowned, "Ron? Why?"

Harry shrugged as if he didn't know. "Fucked if I care Nev, now how's about we get through this snappish yeah? I'd rather get this done before two; we've got mid-terms later on today."

Neville nodded in understanding and stepped forward onto one of the empty spaces as a knight, Harry taking the other knight, and both Hermione and Tonks taking the places of the rooks. Harry had found the following game immensely amusing. The charms on the chess set were rather complex, probably Flitwick's work, and it made for incredibly entertaining sights when his side didn't follow the rules. He allowed himself to be lured right into a corner, and when one of the black knights came along to lop his head off he'd raised his hand and blasted the reinforced piece into chunks of masonry. The black king had proceeded to scream out obscenities while the white queen had made attempts to seduce him. His own king had then been reduced to tears when both Tonks and Hermione took offence at somebody else hitting on their boyfriend and reduced the queen to chunks with dual cutters.

Eventually the opposing pieces just threw their weapons down and walked off the board; refusing to play. Harry had shaken his head with a wry grin as they proceeded past the obstacle and entered the room with the trolls; simultaneously protecting his friends with bubble-head charms as he cast spears of ice right into the skulls of the huge beasts. Their brains took a couple of moments to realized they had a rather prominent spike of frozen water stabbed into them, and managed to get two rather powerful swings in before collapsing to the ground. It was a shame for them that Harry just stepped out of the way of both attacks.

When they walked into the potions chamber and flames burst up to cover both doors Harry shook his head with a deep sigh. "These," he motioned to the black fires, "are examples of a very grey form of offensive magic created by the Aztecs. They used it to protect their tombs, though the magic requires such concentration that it wears out after about a week… which means that it has to constantly be reapplied – rather stupid considering the fact that the graves weren't visited frequently. Unfortunately for Snape, who clearly devised this chamber, he didn't take into account that a Pitch practitioner would be rocking on in."

"Which means?"

Harry turned to Hermione and grinned, "Which means that this." 'This' became quite clear when Harry released his aura in full, and both walls of fire immediately collapsed in upon themselves; appearing to cower under the superior power. Neville was shivering, but as he'd been practicing Dark magic with Harry for months he didn't have as violent a reaction as Tonks and Nymphadora had had the first time they had been exposed. It also helped that Harry considered the young man a friend.

"Wow mate," he managed after a moment looking a tad pale, "never quite saw that coming."

"Good thing your Occlumency barriers are solid," Harry shot back with a small smile, "else I'd have to obliviate the shit out of you." Neville didn't doubt his friend for even a second. The motley crew, one from each house, walked across the threshold of the door leading forwards, and after Tonks had come through Harry restrained his aura once more. The flames however, still remained tamed. Harry walked up to the mirror and stared into its depths; his occlumency barriers slammed completely up so that even the undetectable version of legilimency it used would be unable to get a grasp on his thoughts.

He allowed just a sliver of his intentions to seep through into the ether, and it was promptly snatched up by the artifact in front of him. He grinned when he felt the familiar weight in his pocket and pulled the Philosopher's Stone out – eliciting gasps of awe from all three of his companions. Neville was staring at it as if it was a priceless treasure, and to many it was. "Merlin…" he breathed, "it's… you're actually holding the secret to immortality."

Harry laughed bitterly and shook his head. "No," he explained, his lips twisted into an expression of disgust, "in my hand I hold a bastardized amalgamation of souls and lifeblood forcefully stripped away from their respective owners."

Hermione looked horrified, and hesitant to ask. "W-what do you mean?"

"The Flamels created this stone by killing four hundred women, virgins in most part, and using their blood to create this… piece of bastardized immortality. It'll keep them alive, yes, but at the cost of their souls. Each time they use it, it takes a sliver of their very eternal essence and eats away at it like a parasite, because this stone isn't pure." He held up his hand, and for the first time the ring he wore on his index finger became visible. It was pure black; like obsidian, with small red veins seeming to run through it; spider-web-thin. "This stone _is_ pure."

They all stared at his ring for several seconds before it seemed to hit them just what he was saying, and Hermione jerked back slightly, horrified. "But- you wouldn't kill innocents!"

He smiled and nodded in affirmation, twisting the ring absentmindedly. "No, I wouldn't. Each 'sacrifice' for the stone requires the blood of a virgin. While the Flamels were hasty and forcefully took the blood they needed, I was more humane, and the result exceeded even my expectations. What I did was put my feelers out to certain contacts I know," he didn't mention that those contacts were people that worked in his organization, "and asked if they had any virgins in their family. If they did then I offered fifty galleons as a reward to allow me to get their blood. They were sat down, given food, coffee, magazines, music, whatever, while we drained their blood and fed them blood-replenishing potions. After five sessions with each volunteer we had a body's worth of blood from them, and it was _freely given_. The result, in the end, from precisely 619 virgins, was this. I am in the process of creating several more Phoenix Stone Rings."

"That's… brilliant."

Harry smiled and nodded, but refrained from buffing his fingernails against his shirt. "Thank you, it's taken me years of calculations to get it right. Now…" he placed the stone on the floor and then backed away, everybody else following suit when they saw him flick his wand into his hand. A small, if such a thing was at all possible, fiendfire later and the Flamel's Philosopher's Stone was atomized.

"Won't they just make a new one?"

Harry shook his head, at Tonks' question. "Last time I saw them they were but shells of their former selves. They know something's wrong, but they can't do much about it. They have all the Elixir of Life they need to destroy themselves stored away – they'll be dead before they need more."

"So what does your stone do? If it's the proper one?"

Harry smiled down at his most amazing, saves perhaps the rune scheme he'd used to send his soul back in time, construction. "The ring is charmed to work only for me, and it is literally bonded to my body and magic. For now it lies dormant, unless I get heavily injured whereupon it will inject the Elixir of Life directly into my bloodstream. When I turn twenty three it will continuously keep a flow of the Elixir flowing into me to keep me at that age."

Both Hermione and Tonks understood what he was saying; that it was already active as he _was_ twenty three, but Neville nodded with comprehension. "Right… man that's pretty awesome. Why're you making more though? I mean if they do what you say they do then… well isn't that dangerous?"

Harry shrugged and stared at him. "Not if nobody knows about it. Are you going to tell?" Neville shook his head furiously while looking worried that Harry would even ask such a question, and Harry laughed before nodding, "See? Not dangerous at all. And as I said, they're tied to the user I give it to. Even if you were killed for it, its elixir would be useless to anybody but you. In fact it would kill anybody else."

"So…"

Harry looked over at Tonks and gave a minute shake of his head, tilting it slightly toward Neville, and she nodded back before smiling. "Back to bed then?" The four made their way back through the trials before levitating each other up out of the Devil's Snare and sneaking out of the room within which Fluffy slept soundly as the calming melody of a charmed violin wafted around the chamber. Harry banished the instrument just as he closed the door behind him and grinned as he crept silently back to his dorm beside his friends, who broke away half-way to head in their own individual directions. Neville left first, aware that Tonks and Hermione were with Harry and more than happy to give them some privacy, and Harry was then treated to a passionate good-night, or good-morning, kiss from Tonks and a warm, loving hug from Hermione as well as a small peck on the lips. All three left with equally happy smiles, and quickly fell asleep the moment they hit their respective pillows.

Harry noticed with a smirk the next day that Quirrel looked absolutely ragged. In the past timeline he'd been in the Forbidden Forrest on detention last night, so it stood to reason that Voldemort had been out feeding the previous evening. No wonder he looked so weary; Unicorn Blood had much the same effect as the Flamels' stone – only its effects appeared faster. He caught Neville's eye at breakfast and nodded up to the turban-clad professor, and smirked when he saw his friend snort into his pumpkin juice. Ron, who was sitting nearby, made a rather snotty comment at Neville being clumsy, and got kicked brutally under the table by the young man himself.

For the second time that year a student keeled over clutching his groin at a meal.

Neville's Cheshire-cat smile left no doubt as to _why_ Ron was rolling around on the ground groaning.

McGonagall had moved to give the young man a detention for his actions when Susan Bones spoke up and told the Scotswoman just what Ron had said, and the moment the Gryffindor Head heard that the young redhead had poked at Neville's parents _he_ was the one ending up with a detention. Harry smirked when he saw the small look between Neville and Susan and stifled it by biting into another pancake.

Harry, unfortunately, was tapped on the shoulder before he could finish his third pancake, and told by Snape that the Headmaster wanted to see him after breakfast. Harry delighted in seeing the absolute loathing in his Head of House's eyes at having to address him so nicely, though the message dampened his enjoyment. He saw Dumbledore waiting impatiently for him by the doors, and made quite a show of slowly eating the rest of his breakfast – pausing for quite large amounts of time to talk to those around him. Of course that was very much out of the ordinary, as he never really talked to Slytherin unless he was preaching anti-bigot ideals, and Dumbledore knew it too if his clenched fists and taught jaw was anything to go by.

Harry finally dabbed at his mouth with a napkin before standing, and walked meanderingly over to Dumbledore, who quickly turned on his heel and stalked all the way to his office. He was apparently expecting Harry to match his pace, but found himself waiting at his statue for nearly three minutes whereupon Harry appeared walking quite casually and looking with interest around at Hogwarts as if he'd never really seen it before. The old man had to forcefully calm himself by reciting the taxonomy tables for _Testudines _as he led Harry into his office and offered him a chair. "I'd rather stand," put him on edge right from the beginning, but he sighed and nodded as he sat down in his throne-like chair, steepled his fingers, and then stared across the top of his knobbly joints at his wayward charge.

"Har- Mister Potter, I am glad to inform you that the wards over your house were fully recharged during the holidays."

'_Nice to know, considering I spent a grand total of five minutes there the entire bloody time._' "Wonderful," he drawled, "was that all?"

Dumbledore cleared his throat and withdrew a folder from his desk, opening it and perusing the contents for several moments before looking back up at the bored-looking 'preteen'. "I've been getting very… mixed reports from your professors, Mister Potter," he said in a very grandfatherly manner. "In several subjects you are getting the highest scores this school has ever seen, and yet in Defence Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration you seem to be… slipping in that trend."

Harry raised an eyebrow and leaned against the chair he was supposed to be sitting in. "My grades are still above Average, no?"

"Well yes," Dumbledore agreed with a frown, "but it's very much out of place."

"I still don't quite understand just _why_ I'm here Headmaster," Harry droned, "because my grades are above average. As such there is no reason for you to have called me here. I'm doing well, but then again so is Hermione Granger… and to the best of my knowledge you haven't called her up here."

"Because she's getting Outstanding in all of her subjects," Dumbledore argued, and Harry raised an eyebrow in near-disbelief.

"Right… and Ronald Weasley, who is getting Poor of Troll in virtually all of his subjects has yet to be called upon by either his Head of House or you… I truly fail to see why I get preferential treatment."

"Well Mister Potter, we're just worried for your wellbeing," Dumbledore tried with a disarming smile, "you have so much potential and yet you seem set on not putting your all into Transfiguration or DADA. I know that you can at the very least get Outstanding on the latter; your performance during the opening feast proved that."

Harry smiled benignly at Dumbledore, "Is that all Headmaster?"

Dumbledore sighed and his expression sharpened as he realized he wasn't going to get through to Harry by playing nice. "You should have been ignorant of the wizarding world – where did you learn everything that you did? You defeated a Master Duellist; are top of your class in the majority of your subjects; know the laws and ins and outs of life debts; follow pureblood manners…"

"I don't see how this has to do with school, Headmaster. I informed you that school was the only thing I would discuss with you during my time here."

"Mister Potter," Dumbledore remanded firmly, "you will answer my question."

"I will not," Harry disagreed, "because there is no reason I should. Besides, shouldn't you be happy? I mean, the bastion of the light actually knowing his stuff?"

Dumbledore sent him a disapproving frown, "You should not let your status as the Boy-Who-Lived get to your head Mister Potter."

"I'm not," Harry assured him calmly, "I am simply aware of what I am and am not capable of. I know, for instance, that as the last surviving member of my house I can claim Ascending Head of the House of Potter at thirteen years of age. I also know that I must take more than one woman, be it as wives or concubines, to repopulate my house by the time I turn twenty five."

Dumbledore's jaw was slightly slack, and Harry shrugged, ignoring the plans he was crushing underfoot. "So I'm simply stating things I know, Headmaster. As my magical _guardian_ you only have limited power over me. Ordering things, demanding things, forbidding things… all of those are at my discretion – especially as an ascending head of house. You may forbid me from doing something, but that doesn't mean I have to comply. Just like now, I can walk out of here without any repercussions even if you don't declare the meeting over. Punishments can only be assigned for _school-related issues_. This is not a school related issue. _Will that be all Headmaster?_"

Dumbledore stared at him for several seconds before sighing and giving a nod, and Harry nodded back before turning smartly on his heel and walking out of the room – his cape flowing regally behind him. "Severus will be very frustrated," Albus mused as the enigma that was Harry Potter walked away, "he's not even told me how to do that."

Harry had noticed Dumbledore and Snape getting increasingly frustrated whenever they were in the Great Hall, as neither could penetrate minds any longer without making a scene. Some of his students had informed him that Snape had pulled them up in class and ordered them to look into his eyes, but they had done as Harry had suggested and refused – even at the cost of house points. Their minds were far more precious than a piece of metal in the shape of a cup. Even if Snape did try it he'd find his attempts soundly rebuffed. Every single one of Harry's students could keep a master Legilimens, in this case Flitwick, out of their minds for a full five minutes' worth of concentrated attacks.

The half-goblin thought that Harry was incredible. In just four months he'd taught students of all ages, even first years, something that would take a master Occlumens over a year – and in many ways his method was far superior. Rather than depending upon a veneer at the point of the attack, as conventional Occlumency did, the mind was completely covered. That way even with multiple attacks their minds would be shielded. One Slytherin student had tried to inform Snape about just what Harry was doing, but found himself obliviated by a sprinting Harry who intercepted him just about to go into Snape's office. Hogwarts had warned Harry in a nick of time. Ronald hadn't the faintest clue what was going on, because when Harry had blasted him out of the room during the first lesson he'd included an obliviate as well.

That night was the final lesson he was holding until the next year where he would tutor the new firsties, and everybody showed up looking excited. The moment they entered Harry used all of his magical power to blast the entire audience with a Legilimency attack that was twice the strength of Dumbledore and Snape's combined. Sweat quickly started appearing on people's brows as they fought against him, and the first years were the first to collapse under the onslaught. The moment he broke the defences he withdrew and focussed one the remaining students, until eventually he was left focussing all of his power solely on Tonks and Hermione; both of whom were staring defiantly back at him as they concentrated fully on rebuffing his attack.

The class watched in awe as the two witches stared down their mentor in a battle of magic and wills, until finally Harry relented and grinned – eliciting dual sighs of relief and smiles from the two girls. "Fantastic work you two, and the rest of you as well. Everybody lasted more than two minutes, and I was trying. No matter what, however, never forget your exercises before you go to bed. Never stop upgrading your defences; never stop implementing new ideas; never stop getting better and practicing. This'll be the last lesson for all of you here, and from now on I'll just be taking the new first years for a few months at the beginning of each year to keep them safe." He grinned and clapped his hands, and the customary meadow appeared once more, though with tables laden with sweets, drinks, and even some butterbeer-firewhiskey mixes for the seventh years.

The Occlumency classes ended on a high note with the festivities continuing long into the night, and Flitwick gave the seventh year prefects for each house notes that would keep them out of trouble as they led their respective groups of students back to their dorms. Finally only Filius, Harry, Tonks, and Hermione were left, and the former looked at Harry, confused. His eyebrows rose when he watched the two women cuddle into Harry's side, and his jaw positively dropped when Harry shimmered and was replaced by a very well-built, and very handsome twenty three year old man.

"H-H-Wha… huh?"

Harry laughed while Tonks snorted and Hermione giggled, and he motioned to a chair opposite. The small man sat heavily down and stared at Harry wide eyed as he motioned speechlessly at him. "Well, Filius, it all started when…"

By the end of the story, notably lacking his time travel feats, or the fact that he was Christopher Erebus, Filius had slugged back quite a few measures of firewhiskey Harry had on hand, and eventually stared at Harry as he shook his head in disbelief. "Anybody else, Harry, anybody else and I'd take them to the St Mungos Long Term Ward."

Harry grinned and took a sip of punch, careful not to jostle the sleeping Hermione snuggled into his side on the grass. Tonks was dozing on his other side, but was keeping an ear on the conversation. "Well I appreciate you trusting me on this."

The Charms Master nodded slightly and then frowned. "I have no idea why you are telling me all this though."

Harry grinned, "Well I thought that would be clear Filius; I want you to join our motley crew."

He looked surprised, "And do what? And what motley crew?"

"Help us make inroads with the goblins; help us fight when the time comes; help us plan and plot… and run interference for us. Admittedly that last one is a little bit of a selfish request, but I'm not retracting it. I have another girlfriend back at my home, and I spend most weekends there – as do the girls." He grinned, "Oh, and the motley crew is called The Syndicate."

Filius paled. "T-The Syndicate? But that's… that's very illegal."

"Why?"

The professor opened his mouth and then frowned when he realized that he'd have to think about it. "Well," he said slowly, "they deal in underground markets?"

"Right," Harry shot back with a grin, "and that makes them bad?"

"Well I never said they were bad, I just said they were illegal," Filius reasoned.

"And does that put you off?"

"Well I am a professor here, and if it was discovered I was a part of such an organization I'd be liable to be fired, or arrested."

Harry smiled and looked down to Hermione, and she grinned up at him before turning to her professor and explaining. "The Syndicate takes care of their own. They have their own schooling system; medical centers; research facilities; living communities… the only reason we're here instead of at the Syndicate Institute of Learning is because we want to keep an eye on things here. The Syndicate is huge, nearly one hundred thousand in number and that's not including their families. Among the more questionable ventures The Syndicate also works with such things as orphanages; food banks; homeless shelters; soup kitchens… to be honest The Syndicate is predominantly legal and above board in their businesses. The 'questionable' things they do are also, in most part, helpful to the world at large. For instance we bridge the muggle and magical worlds. We can regress cancer almost completely with magical methods, and we can revive the dead with muggle."

Filius' eyes shot wide open at that little tidbit of information. "D-dead?"

"Within reason," Harry said with an amused smile, "ten minutes tops, really. Anything longer and brain damage can occur due to oxygen deprivation – but that can be extended with CPR, up to ninety six minutes in fact."

"You can revive a person _ninety_ minutes after death?"

Harry nodded with a smile. "Yeah, though the Avada Kedavra is final; it actually severs the soul. If we were to revive a killing curse victim with muggle methods then they'd act like somebody who had been kissed by a Dementor."

"Incredible," the small man exclaimed breathily, "and you say that The Syndicate does all this?"

"Its aim," Harry assured him, "is to make this world one. No segregation; just… the Earth. All as one."

"Ambitious," Flitwick murmured, "but something definitely worth fighting for."

Harry smiled at him and held out his hand. "Welcome to The Syndicate, Filius. We're very glad to have you."

The man took his hand with a raised eyebrow. "We? What position do you hold in The Syndicate?"

"A high one," Harry smiled benignly, and Flitwick rolled his eyes with a grin.

"Right. What will you want me to do?"

"What do you want to do?"

Hermione giggled at the surprised look on her professor's face, and Tonks grinned. "What do _I want_ to do? I have a choice?"

"We're not the Death Eaters, Filius," Harry explained with a wry grin, "our members chose what they want to do within The Syndicate. They also retain a salary depending on how much work they do, and what area they're in."

Filius looked almost overjoyed; when he'd said he'd do it he hadn't expected such freedom in his work. "Well then something to do with charms, enchanting, or warding… yes, I think warding would be best."

Harry smiled and nodded, noting that fact mentally away. "I'll get you in contact with our warding division then. You should start receiving correspondence within the next few days with your contact. He'll pass on new breakthroughs, working requests; that kind of thing – keep you in the loop. You do, of course, retain the option of working full time whereupon you'd transfer to our warding branch in Geneva, or if you got busted here, but that would require you to leave Hogwarts and from what I've seen you love teaching."

"I do," Flitwick confirmed with a smile, "and if your organization is as you say… I believe I'm going to enjoy working with others with the same passion and knowledge."

"You will," Harry assured him as he stood up from the grass, slowly shrinking back into his eleven year old form as his glamour shimmered into being. Filius looked overjoyed at seeing such a complex weaving of magic. The room slowly morphed back into its regular size and contents, and the four exited the room whereupon Filius quickly wrote them out a note explaining their lateness and left the three after a joyful "Goodnight!"

As Harry walked with his two girlfriends Tonks smiled down at him. "That went well."

Harry chuckled, jerking slightly at just how high-pitched he sounded. It always happened after being in his actual form for a while. "It did, didn't it? At least now we have a member of staff on our side – it beats having Neville running interference and Filius is more credible."

"The 'mental age' thing was a nice modification."

Hermione was of course referring to the fact that Harry told the man that his 'aging potion' advanced the imbiber's physical age to their equivalent mental age. Filius accepted it in a stride, simply thinking that Harry acted like a twenty three year old and thus now looked like one. Both women looked confused when he dragged them into an empty classroom before asking Hogwarts to completely seal the room, and Harry smiled at them before conjuring three leather chairs. He sat in the one facing both of them, and they slowly sat down at his motioning. "Firstly, Snape was coming our way, and while he can't treat me as anything other than his best student… he can be a right bastard to you."

"And secondly?"

"Ever impatient, aren't you Nym?"

She blushed and glared at him, and he chuckled before leaning forwards. "The Phoenix Stone Rings I told Neville were being created are _not_ in fact, being created. They have _been_ created already." They stared at him, awareness dawning in their eyes, and Harry smiled before reaching into his pocket and withdrawing two identical rings to his – saves the single, flawless diamond in the very center. Both girls drew in a sharp breath and held it in shock, and he smiled warmly at the both of them. "I have yet to give Rose her ring, but over the past months I have come to love you as I do her. Hermione; you're a bubbly, confident, smart, and very pretty young woman. I know for a certain fact that you will grow up to be a complete knockout."

The young bookworm blushed beet-red, but looked pleased as well as anxious and expectant. He smiled knowingly and nodded. "You are only twelve, as you've pointed out to me several times, and I know that. I know that you're not ready for anything physical saves holding hands, snuggling… and the odd kiss, but I think you love me – that you're in love with me?"

She nodded shyly, but smiled, and he smiled brilliantly back before holding out one of the rings. "I love you too Hermione, and this isn't a proposal. Yet. Someday I'll kneel down and ask you to marry me, but you're a little too young I think for that step." She nodded with a small laugh, and shakily watched as he slipped the ring onto her finger where it resized. She gasped when a searing hot pain burned against her skin, but it disappeared as suddenly as it had come. "Sorry," he said as he rubbed the back of her hand, "didn't want you to start freaking out about it. That was the stone bonding to you. It can't be removed unless you give your expressed permission, and the elixir can only be used by you. It'll activate fully when you turn twenty three and halt your aging."

She nodded, looking down at the ring with awe as it finally hit her just how much the band on her finger was worth, and Harry turned to Tonks with a small smile. When he got off the chair and knelt down Tonks gasped and raised her hand over her mouth. "Nym, in my past life you were one of the few people that didn't turn bad. You were one of maybe five people whom I felt I could trust fully at the end of my time there. When I met you again, here, you were still you. Clumsy, funny, bubbly, bright, a joy to be around, and still stunningly beautiful in your base form. I always felt a connection to you, though until this timeline it was one of an older sister." He chuckled, "And now I find myself actually older than you are, but I see you as anything but a younger sister. I love you, and I promise to do so for as long as I live – and beyond that. Nymphadora Tonks, will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

Nym stared down at him with tears in her eyes as she nodded, and he grinned at the beautiful smile that lit up her face a moment later as it truly sunk in just what was happening. When he slid the ring onto her finger she didn't even wince at the pain that lanced through her, and watched with quiet awe as another diamond slowly appeared, while the existing one turned a light green. "The green one is for me," he murmured lowly, as if afraid to break the moment by speaking any louder, "and the other diamond is for Hermione. It's charmed to turn amber when you become engaged to her, and gold when you are wed – just as my crystal will turn into a deep emerald."

She looked down to his ring and found a light pink gem alongside a clear diamond within the darkness of the Phoenix Stone. "I'm pink?"

He grinned, "That's all you have to say?"

It was, he discovered, all she wanted to say. The rest of her message was conveyed when she tackled him to the floor and kissed him passionately right on the lips; her tongue immediately piercing into his mouth and tangling with his own. She clutched onto his shirt; trying to draw him closer as she ground against him. She gave up rather quickly and separated from him with a low growl as she pulled her wand, but found her advance stopped when Harry grabbed her hand and smiled up at her. "Two things: Lady Hogwarts, would you please change this room into a bedroom? And please also make the bed large enough for three people." Tonks looked around as the room changed and the cold, uncomfortable stone underneath Harry's back turned into soft, lush carpet, and then struggled against his hold on her arm once more – only to have Harry glare playfully up at her. "And secondly, your ring acts as a focus. Its core of your blood and the Elixir acts as a universal focus."

Without delay she waved her hand in the motion of a banishing charm, and his clothes quite quickly disappeared, as did hers a moment later. He let his glamour drop, and that was the last thing he knew before he was blasted onto the bed and immediately set upon by his fiancé. The last time they had been intimate he'd allowed her control, but this time was his. Nym squeaked with surprise when she found herself toppling off of him, but groaned with excitement when she felt her lover's body press down upon her and his mouth mash firmly against hers with a ferocity she hadn't ever felt before.

Harry pulled away from their kiss to descend down upon her neck; nipping and suckling at Tonks' pulse-point, and caught sight of Hermione out the corner of his eye. During the minutes he had been indulging in his fair-skinned woman, she had climbed up onto the bed and had her hand underneath the waistband of her skirt as she watched her boyfriend and girlfriend with rapt attention; the only blush on her cheeks one of immense arousal and pleasure. Harry groaned at the expression on such an innocent girl and, without any warning whatsoever, maneuvered his hips before sinking all the way into Nym's sopping wet pussy. She groaned underneath him, and he gasped as he bottomed out deep inside of her.

The two lovers simply held each other for several minutes; losing themselves in the presence of the other. Nym felt so full; so complete, and knowing that the man above her was her fiancé; the man she was going to marry, was something that made the feeling all the more intense. Harry knew he wouldn't last long. The woman underneath him was squirming and moaning as she tweaked at her own nipples, and looking over at Hermione he found his other lover leaning back against the headboard with her hand moving underneath her skirt; her eyes glazed and her other hand groping her developing breasts over her school jumper. He growled deep in the back of his throat at the sight, and turned back to the face of his woman before pulling out slightly, and then thrusting back into her depths.

Tonks gasped at the unexpected invasion, but quickly locked her ankles behind his hips so that he couldn't pull out of her and tease her as he'd done many times during the Christmas break. Harry couldn't even entertain the thought of chuckling or being amused at all, because that pull from her legs drew her deep into her; deeper than he'd ever been before. He felt himself hit her cervix, but rather than feeling the underside he felt himself pierce it and enter directly into her womb. He froze at the feeling of the head of his cock getting squeezed in an almost painful, vice-like grip, and stared down at her worriedly, only to find her with her mouth open in a silent scream as she shuddered beneath him in orgasm. He had to grit his teeth as her slick tunnel milked his cock; begging for his come, but somehow managed to hold back. Nym finally stilled beneath him; her half-lidded eyes gazing contentedly up at him, and she smiled. "I'm a metamorph Harry."

He smiled tightly, trying to keep his emotions under control. Nym wasn't having any of it though, and saw through him like glass. She reached up and traced a defined scar on his chest from a werewolf, and cocked her head sweetly to the side. Her question was plain to see, and he let out a deep breath to calm himself long enough to speak. "In my last life this… this would never have happened. Women who I had sex with… it was just that. I didn't have one romantic relationship in my entire life… and now I have three. I have three of the most wonderful women that love me, and love each other. I have a fiancé that would take me into her very womb. What did I do this time around?"

"You weren't the old you," she explained with a smile, and it widened into a grin when she clenched her stomach muscles and Harry groaned as her tight, slick tunnel grasped at him. "From what you've told us, you were evil in your past timeline; you'd kill for the sake of killing; you hated the world; hated humanity and every other race. I think you were right; you merged with your younger self… and I love _you_. So does Rose."

"And I love you," Hermione interrupted quietly, and Harry looked across at the young witch with a small smile. She got up onto her knees and kissed him sweetly on the lips; blushing up a storm the entire time. Harry smiled at her as she moved back to sit against the bedhead, though closed his eyes tightly shut and groaned when Tonks pulled with her ankles.

"Now come in me," she almost begged, "fuck me until I scream your name."

The complete change in her disposition threw him, but after a moment he couldn't find any reason to deny her request. He pulled out, gasping with ecstasy when he felt her cervix squeeze him, and then slammed back into Tonks. She squealed and her entire body clenched, and Harry groaned at the pleasure he was experiencing. He pulled back again and then sunk back into her, and felt her hands scramble for purchase against her back as she jerked upwards and held him in an embrace as he moved deep inside of her. Her breath came hot against his ear; quiet mews and gaps of pleasure alerting him to her increasing arousal and pleasure.

He found himself pulled down into her kiss without any warning; her tongue plundering his mouth the moment their lips met. He could taste the butterbeer she'd been drinking, with a hint of firewhiskey, and slowly started moving faster inside of her. She groaned when she felt him begin slamming into her in earnest, and arched her back as she jerked her hips in an attempt to get him even deeper into her. Nym could feel herself heating up, and a low, almost imperceptible ache start burning deep in her core. She could feel Harry filling her up; her insides feeling as if they were being pulled out of her as he withdrew before the ache intensified as he slammed back into her with a grunt; his hot breath feeling like dragon fire across the side of her neck as he held her.

She could feel their sweat mixing as they moved together, and the small moans from beside them; coming from their other lover, only served to bring their excitement and movements higher and faster. When she suddenly had an idea and developed nerves in her womb she immediately tensed as she felt him slam into her, and her mouth opened to let lose a scream of complete abandon; her lover's name bursting from her throat and echoing around the stone chamber as she came around his cock. Harry grunted, pulling once more out before sheathing himself deep inside her very womb, and then with a primal roar emptied himself inside of her; his cum painting her insides white. The pressure of his seed filling her womb only threw Nym higher, and her scream tapered in her throat until her back was arched and her mouth was gaped open and only a breathless wheeze escaped her lips. Both lovers stayed taught until, in complete unison, they collapsed. Harry had just enough cognizance to fall to the side so he didn't crush Tonks, but the young woman herself wouldn't have noticed even if he had fallen on top of her. Aftershocks of her intense orgasm jerked through her in unconsciousness, and Harry panted and gasped for breath as he gently stroked his fiancé's hair that was plastered to her forehead.

He suddenly felt soft, warm skin come to rest against his back and smiled softly as he moved so he was lying in his back. Hermione peered up at him with glazed eyes, and gave a tired, but content smile. She had shucked off her skirt and jersey sometime during her passion, and wore only a pair of light blue knickers and her white school shirt which was unbuttoned down to nearly her belly-button; baring the sight of a matching blue training bra. His smile softened and he leaned down to kiss her upturned lips chastely. "Love you," he murmured tiredly, and she beamed up at him before shuffling around so that her head was resting on his shoulder and her small body was half-draped over his torso.

"Love you too," she muttered, and he smiled before waving his hand vaguely. He was surprised when the spell he wanted didn't work, and gave a small chuckle to himself when he realized that he was so worn out his hand movement had resembled something nothing at all like what the spell required. He tried again, his arm muscles complaining lightly at being used after holding up a grown woman for nearly half an hour, and all three, or at least two as one was unconscious, felt the sweat get wicked from their bodies and all the day's grime get banished away.

Harry gently maneuvered Tonks so that she was comfortably against him, and then closed his eyes as the room's lights dimmed. His smile carried deep into his sleep as he felt Tonks' and Hermione's steady, deep breathing against him, and he couldn't wait until the weekend where he'd propose to Rose; his first love.


	12. Chapter 12

Harry's day had been eventful to say the least. His time relaxing and beginning to enjoy life with his two fiancé's and girlfriend had apparently come to an end. Rose was finally up and about; her wounds completely healed, and she was already getting back into shape after being immobilized for so long. She had yet to go out in public, or reveal herself to her family, but Harry was working slowly up to that. Unfortunately duty called, and Harry found his twenty three year old self standing in front of a small door in an empty street in Amsterdam. He could feel the magic bathing the entire area without even scanning for it. It was so heavy there was no way in hell he could discern one type of magic from another, and that worried him. He relied on that a lot when it came to dangerous situations, and that was precisely what this was.

He'd gotten a message from the Nazar vampire clan in New York. Their Amsterdam catacombs had gone dark, not magically so, but no contact had been made for over a week, and they were getting worried. Harry would have asked just why they were asking him for help and not doing it themselves, but then they informed him that there had been a meeting planned between several vampire clans… and that all the counts were to be present. This, of course, meant that inside the catacombs there could be up to seven very, very dangerous vampires. And Christopher Erebus was known for his prowess in battle.

He did have an image to keep, after all.

With a deep breath he stepped forward so that he was right in front of the wardline, and peered at it before shaking his head and growling in frustration. The wards were so saturated from the ambient magic he couldn't get into their inner workings. Taking a deep breath he pulled out a wicked looking knife alongside his wand, and then stepped over the threshold. Not giving any time for him to back out, or for anybody or anything inside to prepare, he blasted down the door and stormed inside, immediately ducking down and blasting a vampire's head right off its shoulders. Another one hidden in the shadow darted out in an attempt to bite him, and Harry got his first look at his enemies. He'd met vampires before, and he was in the good books of quite a few counts, though they were predominantly the American clans who weren't stuck in the old ways and barbaric traditions.

The man who had sent him, in fact, while originating from Bulgaria, lived among magical townsfolk in America – and the entire place knew just what they were. They retained a symbiotic relationship; the witches and wizards would allow themselves to be fed off and keep emergency blood supplies, and the vampires provided protection from more malicious people, as well as helping with work in the shops while the owners slept, thus providing an always-open magical shopping district.

It was this ideal that Harry strove to implement everywhere.

But back to the vampire charging at him – it was like nothing he'd ever seen. The 'thing' didn't even have any eyes; merely dried up orbs that looked like crimson stone. Its claws were fully extended, and its clothes were torn to show pale, rotting skin underneath. Harry took no small amount of pleasure from blowing its entire torso to pieces with an overpowered reductor. He looked around the room and his face sunk. Several bodies were those of high-level dignitaries that were supposed to be attending the conference. He scurried over to one of them when he heard the slow rattle of breath, and leaned down before slicing his wrist open and forcing dark magic into the dark blood that started flowing. The vampire immediately latched on, and Harry was glad to see that she clearly retained enough clarity to not actually bite him, but rather suckle at the wound. She jerked when the first drop hit her tongue, and sucked with fervor as she felt the power imbued within it.

When he felt himself getting weak he pulled away, and she moaned with discontent, at least until he sliced his other wrist and muttered under his breath. She watched with awe as the blood splattered around the room coalesced into a ball before slowly getting sucked into the freely bleeding wounds, but latched immediately onto the cut when it was offered once more. Harry chuckled as he looked around, and narrowed his eyes when he saw a shadow flickering up the passage-way leading from the foyer. He raised his wand, and the vampire at his wrist continued drinking; completely oblivious to anything but the power filling her.

As soon as the pale head appeared he muttered the killing curse, and it blasted across the dull room; lighting it up with the customary green flash when it impacted and tore the soul from the crazed vampire that had smelt Harry's powerful blood. Harry took his wrist back and stifled a smile as he healed his wrist and the very pretty woman beside him moaned in appreciation as she licked her bloody lips. "English?"

Her head jerked to him when he spoke in his calm baritone, and it took a couple of seconds for her eyes to sharpen and for her mind to process the question. She shook her head and stared at him for a moment. «Russian? »

Harry smiled and nodded, «Sure. » Her eyes lit up at his understanding of her language, and he held out his hand. «Christopher Erebus, at your service.»

Her eyes widened, and when she shook his hand it was tentative, as if she was unsure that being so familiar was acceptable. «Charlotta Ivanovna… it is an honour to meet you finally Mister Erebus. »

Harry laughed and waved his hand vaguely, before casting another killing curse down the tunnel without even looking. He ignored the shock coming from his recent companion at his lack of care when throwing around dark curses, and smiled. «Please, no need to be so formal; just Chris will be fine. And I must ask, did you by any chance ever meet Anton Chekhov? » She blushed and grinned as she nodded, and he laughed. «Well no matter, and even if it did now is not the time to be discussing it. I was sent here by the Nazar clan to see what's going on, so what can you tell me? »

Her eyes darkened and flickered a deep crimson for a moment before retreating into a light violet. «We were here for a conference on creating treaties between the clans, and to discuss our continued existence in this world, and our place within it. Of course Britain's vampires were excluded. » She didn't need to explain; they'd sided with an insane dark lord once, and what was preventing it from happening again? Britain was well known internationally for its stubbornness in keeping the old ways strong. «Everything was fine for the first two days, but on the third I was waiting here for a delivery at the same time as a member from the Nosferatu clan, » she motioned to a heavily disfigured vampire dead on the other side of the room, and Harry nodded. It wasn't disfigured from battle, rather the curse that had long been placed upon the clan – and Harry looked quickly away. Normally they wore cowls to prevent others from looking at their mutated forms, but his had been blasted away.

«And then what?»

«And then the door was blown apart, and I can't remember anything more. »

Harry looked at the door that _he_ had blown apart and frowned. Somebody had obviously repaired it before he came. Before he could ask more however, Charlotta clutched at her head and groaned. Harry quickly lifted her head up so that he could see and his eyes sharpened when he saw flickerings of yellow entering her irises. «Quickly, » he said as he hauled her to her feet, «outside right now.»

He had to drag her the last few meters, and she gasped before collapsing to the ground the moment they cleared the wards. He watched her haul in deep breaths of air, even though Vampires didn't really need to do so, and sweat poured from her body despite the fact that she was dead and her body was already cold. «Wh-what was that?»

«Corruption, » Harry said as he stared down through the door they had just stumbled through, «it seems that because you were very nearly dead it didn't affect you, and my blood protected you for a short amount of time. The whole place is too saturated in magic that I can't trace the source either, but I'd hazard that the further I progress into the catacombs the worse it'll get. »

She looked at him for several seconds as she wiped her brow with a cloth he had conjured for her, and shook her head in disbelief. «You're going back in, aren't you? »

He turned back looking equally as disbelieving. «Of course I am! If something is doing this to vampires then I need to study it and get it to my labs for analysis so we can come up with a cure, and maybe track who made whatever it is. »

She shook her head and gave frown of worry. «And the corruption?»

«It shouldn't affect me. My mental shields are rock hard, and my magic and aura will protect me as I go deeper. I have a feeling the corruption will only affect vampires as well. Call it gut instinct. »

«W-um… well what should I do? »

«Can you shadow travel? »

She shook her head looking a little disgruntled and he laughed. «No problem. Come here then.» She walked over to him with a confused expression on her face, and he grinned before stepping back into the darkness of a nearby doorway, grabbing her, and then sinking into the shadows. She squeaked in surprise when places whipped past them as they travelled through the ether, and several minutes later she felt a pull whereupon the images stopped and she stumbled forwards out of the darkness. Harry followed looking quite amused, and she jerked around with shock in her eyes. «B-but you're not a vampire!»

Harry laughed and shook his head, «No, but I am a shadow mage. »

While she gaped Harry looked around the room they were in, and a moment later Dobby popped into existence with a huge grin on his face. "Master Harry sir is back! What can I do for you?"

Charlotta stared confusedly down at the house-elf, and Harry motioned towards her. "This is Charlotta Ivanovna, and she's a vampire that will be staying with us for a while. Would you please take her to the safe-house at Glovers Court? Oh, and then would you visit The Syndicate division in Russia and ask them if a few people would volunteer to donate some blood to a vampire and keep her company?" Dobby nodded; his ears making slight slapping sounds as they flapped around.

Harry turned to a confused and slightly worried Charlotta, and smiled reassuringly. «Dobby, my good friend here, » he motioned to the elf in question, «will take you to a safehouse we have set up, and some volunteers from the Russian Syndicate will be by to provide you with some more fresh blood to recover. I would take you to my home but… well I don't know you I'm sorry – however nice you seem. »

She nodded, and a smile broke over her lips, baring her two elongated canines. «Do not apologize; I am very grateful for all that you have done already. Most would have left me for dead. »

Harry smiled and held out his hand with a smile, and she shook it. «The Syndicate is not like that, Charlotta. Once I return I will visit, perhaps tomorrow, with my fiancé and we can discuss what you want to do, okay? »

She nodded, but not without a small hint of disappointment, and smiled before walking over and taking Dobby's outstretched hand. Harry watched them pop away, and immediately hopped back into the shadows. It took several minutes for him to travel from his transition house in Marrakesh back to Amsterdam, and when he emerged once more he took several moments to get his magic reserves back to full. A minute later he walked back down into the darkness and made sure his ward hadn't been triggered whilst he'd been gone. If it had then he'd have to go vampire hunting to track down whoever had done so. He sealed the entrance behind him with the most powerful and violent wards he knew, and then proceeded downwards. Without Charlotte it was unnervingly quiet, and Harry clutched harder as his knife and wand as he walked across the room and slowly started making his way down into the very depths of the underground complex.

His footsteps were completely silent, and even the slight swishing sound his cloak made was completely inaudible because of the spells he'd thrown on himself before entering. He saw flickering movements across his path as he walked, and condensed his aura around himself when he felt rage suddenly flare up within him. Calm settled over his mind and his eyes turned icy; he had been wrong, and whatever this corruption was it was powerful. He silently beheaded any and all vampires that crossed his path, and then stuck their bodies to the ceilings to eliminate any chance of them being discovered.

The catacombs were dark and smelled of wet stone, but there was the unmistakable coppery smell of blood that wafted down the passages he stalked. He walked directly forwards towards his destination, and slid into the shadows when he arrived. In front of him was a hall that made the Hogwarts Great Hall look like a closet in size. Huge, carved stone vampires reached up to the ceiling that was hundreds of meters above him; their eyes burning with fire, casting flickering light over the cavern they governed. He looked down at his shoes and saw the cobblestones at his feet splattered with blood, and the cracks in-between flowing with the life-giving liquid. He raised his head to the central dais and felt bile rise up in his throat. There, right in front of his very eyes, were at least fifty naked and dissected humans crucified on mockeries of crosses; inverted, and all the victims upside-down . Blood flowed freely from their mouths and into the spreading pool of crimson that cascaded down the steps in a macabre waterfall.

Kneeling and feeding in frenzy were at least one hundred vampires, and although Harry knew he was good he also knew that his aura's intimidation factor would likely not work on such crazed mutations. His eyes flickered around the room, searching, and he nearly growled to himself when he saw no way to defeat the hoard of crazed vampires. He looked more carefully around, well aware that using magic would be a definite no-no with so many enemies present, and ones heavily attuned to fluctuations in nature as well, and his eyes finally came to rest upon the statues lining the huge hall. He sighed quietly, and then turned to the wall behind him, looking for footholds and hand-slots where he could begin climbing.

Three quarters of an hour later Harry had reached the ceiling and was sweating with the effort. He carefully traversed the ornate stone carvings protruding from where he was, and sat down when he reached a gargoyle; perching himself on its back with a deep sigh of relief. He was looking right down the left side of the hall, and the first statue was twenty meters in front of him. Unfortunately magic was still out, but at least he'd gotten to the top. He stared across the huge gap from where he needed to be, and sighed again as he slumped his cheek into his upturned palm and glared at it. Numerous solutions presented themselves, but unfortunately all of them were magical, and he wasn't going to risk being discovered early because he was too un-resourceful.

After a couple minute's pondering he finally had an idea, but he had to think about the consequences before he actually attempted it. Shadow travel would be easily detected, so that was out, but a minor shadow manipulation could do the trick. Unfortunately shadow magic was the vampire's main form of 'power', and releasing even a small amount could be indistinguishable from suicide in his current predicament. If all else failed he could run for his life, but he'd rather not. Sighing, and deciding that things weren't going to get better by waiting, Harry stood. Staring at the crowd of vampires the entire time he plunged his hand into the deepest shadows beside him, and then hurriedly commanded them to do his bidding.

His breath hitched in his throat when he saw the entire horde stop feeding and turn their heads in his direction, and he was sure his heart skipped a beat when one of them opened its mouth and in a horrifying, mind-shattering manner, screeched. He could feel the power behind the sound, and fortified his mind hard against it. He could feel his aura struggling, but breathed a sigh of complete relief when it settled and all the vampires turned back to the blood. When he retrieved his limbs from the shadows he found black, demonic hands and claws covering his lower arms, and grinned. With a leap he sliced deep into the stone and held himself, suspended nearly three hundred meters above the ground; hanging from just his claws.

He slowly made progress across the gap, and paused several times when some loose stone would fall down and hit the ground with an obscenely loud crack. Every time the vampires repeated the screech, and Harry assumed that it was a new attack they had gained through whatever was corrupting them; to most others, human or not, he was sure it would be an insanity sentence. When he finally made it to the head of Count Vlad he retracted his claws and dispelled them with a wince as his lacerated hands were revealed. Demonic summoning using shadows, unfortunately, required a sacrifice. They weren't too bad however, and after a quick application of salve the wounds closed up, leaving only red, irritated lines of raw skin. Trickling oil ran beneath him; entering a cavity in the skull of the statue, and Harry grinned as he quietly tore off a large piece of his robes and plugged the hole.

It quickly begun welling up, and trickled down the stone towards the floor far below. Using the channel for the oil he made quick progress across the tops of all the statues, and when he came to the last one he sat down on top and waited. The statues he had plugged had turned a noticeably darker shade of grey, and the fires in their eyes were dimming as they got down to fumes. Fortunately they never went out; just enough oil getting through the cloth to sustain the flames, and Harry smirked as the darkness finally hit the floor and begun spreading. The vampires seemed wholly unconcerned that the floor around them was being covered in highly flammable liquid, and Harry wondered if their heightened sight and hearing was at the sacrifice of their smell. He was breathing through his remaining robes so as not to get too lightheaded, and looked down upon the feasting vamps.

All of their victims were contained within a ritual circle, and none of them were screaming. His tentative probing with his magic had revealed no souls within the bodies, and so he held no remorse for doing what he was about to do. The source of the taint he had discovered to be a small, golden egg that was resting in a sunken hole almost overflowing with blood; right underneath the first crucified victim. He waited three hours to make sure the entire place was flooded. He was incredibly thankful that the flames in the eyes of the statues were warded, else they would have lit up the fumes filling the room hours ago. Satisfied he made his way back to the first statue closest to the door, and then, with one single deep breath of preparation, he jumped – casting a cushioning spell just before he hit. Immediately all the heads turned towards him, and the lethal scream wrenched at his defences. Not giving them time to react he summoned the egg, jammed it in his pocket, pulled out his zippo, warded it lightly, and then threw it into the pool of oil covering the entire floor.

Then Harry James Potter ran as fast as he bloody well could. The first tomb he came across he jumped inside before casting a reducto at the roof and collapsing it over the doorway, and not a moment too soon. The ward on his zippo flickered before collapsing, and a moment before the flame could be drowned it ignited the flammable liquid. Harry had just slid the lid of the coffin's lid over himself when the screams started, and curled into a ball before pulling all of his mental defenses to bear. He had never before felt such an attack on his mind, and he was receiving it through a wall of stone, and a heavily constructed coffin of granite. He felt some cracks appear in the ice covering his mind, and a few crevices open up, and grunted with the effort of protecting himself.

The screams suddenly pitched higher, and Harry felt a huge split render his frozen sea; ripping it apart and allowing the attack to seep through and begin boring into the reflective surface of his consciousness and mind. He could feel the protective covering splitting and weakening, and pulled his magic into the mix to repair it. As suddenly as the screams had started they stopped and he slumped; panting, sweating, and nauseous as his mind was finally free from the contagion. The dark artifact in his pocket probably didn't help, but his defenses were holding against it as they repaired. He downed several potions as he waited inside the coffin and could feel the heat slowly increasing over the hours he stayed inside his sanctuary as the fires continued burning. When he was fully recovered, and he had taken a small nap, he finally kicked upwards and dislodged the coffin lid.

A wall of heat assaulted him as if it was a physical entity, and he hurriedly erected a wandless orb of augmentei over the top of his head where it constantly drenched him in ice-cold water, which by the time it reached his feet was turning into steam. A bubble-head charm took care of the smoke, and he pulled his wand upwards before blasting a hole in the rubble of the ceiling. He stepped through into a realm that resembled what Harry imagined to be Hell. Smoke and fire was everywhere, and the stones around him exuded an intense heat. Because the fire wasn't magical he couldn't just alter its composition, and so he pushed a vacuum in front of him as he advanced towards the huge hall. When he arrived he was almost agape.

There was no way in any deity's name that anything had survived. Some stone was actually red with the heat, and he could barely see in front of him for the nearly-black smoke. With a deep breath he forced the vacuum out into the huge space, and felt his fully-recovered core drain massively. He could tell her was nearly at the end of the hall with his magic, and forced it further to extinguish any and all flames. As soon as that was done, and the strain of holding it there brought him to his knees, he cast one of Merlin's own spells; bringing a glacier into existence within the hall. Steam burst forth as the rock and stones were cooled at a rapid rate, and Harry managed to hold the massive construction and bubble of magic for nearly a minute before black encroached on his vision and he collapsed into unconsciousness.

When he next awoke he found himself slumped at the beginning of a much smaller glacier. Damp, humid air hit him in the face, and he groggily looked around at the carnage. The altar was completely clear; the blood and horrific things that had been there boiled away; nothing more than smoke at this point. Steam was everywhere, and several pools of water interspersed the glacier where the melt was still happening. "Fuck," he muttered as he looked around, and cringed when he saw the entire upper half of the hall covered in black soot. He could feel the strain his core was under from his two extremely heavy bouts of magic and wasn't about to pretty the place up; they'd asked him to come in, fix the problem, and then report – not clean up his mess. He'd leave that to them.

Taking stock of himself he had to admit that he looked like shit. His clothes were torn ragged, and the only thing that had survived the entire ordeal unscathed was the basilisk hide armour that covered the majority of his body. He looked down at his watch and breathed out a sigh of relief when he found it still working. According to its readings it had been ten hours since he'd entered the crypts, and he knew precisely what that meant. With one last look at the huge room filled with ice he began walking back up to the surface, and breathed in the clear air with a smile on his face when he cleared the wards. It took only moments for him to unshrunk his trunk and pluck a containment vessel from within. The moment he locked the lid over the golden egg the entire lid lit up with the magic it was venting and Harry stared down at the artifact with a glare.

There was no evidence whatsoever, but he just knew that whoever had tried to kill Rose had a hand in this as well. He apparated to the nearest Syndicate stronghold and appeared just outside the wards before stepping forwards. The magic instantly recognized him and fluttered as it gave a portion of its ward-stone's power to him; helping charge his dwindling reserves. He smiled as the exhaustion faded away and patted himself on the back for integrating such a failsafe; he hadn't been looking forward to shadow travel so magically depleted. The moment he walked in the door he was recognized, and a wave of shocked silence spread out through the entire floor as heads turned. "Ello," he smiled as he made his way towards the elevators, "don't mind me, just passing through with a dark artifact." He raised his hand which held the containment cube, and he simply received more stares.

He chuckled as the doors of the elevator closed behind him; he'd never get sick of getting that reaction. "Hot containment labs, floor ninety three."

He could feel the magic scanning him for his identity and authorization, and tapped his foot when the elevator jerked slightly and begun moving downwards. The complex was a feat of incredible magic made possible only by the combined efforts of wizarding kind, the Goblin nation, several vampire clans, and no small amount of help from some amiable demons. The entire facility, in fact every Syndicate facility, was a marvel of space-time distortion. Every single headquarters was identical in structure; right down to the very millimeter, and each floor beneath the entrance foyers technically occupied the same space all over the world. The system was notoriously complex in its design; it had to be in order to work properly. A veritable maze of wards controlled the networking, and it had taken two years to get the complexes finished, and that was with workers on it every single day, twenty-four-seven.

When he stepped out into the hot-labs people paused and stared, but Harry was saved from the looks when a white-haired man approached him wearing a bright yellow lab-coat. It was garishly bright, and Harry had to stifle a wince. "Ah Mister Erebus, what can we do for you down here?"

Harry held out the cube and the man took it with a look of immense excitement when he spied the discharge brightness. "I just came from the Nazar Catacombs in Amsterdam. This object corrupted and turned the vampires into something… well I don't know quite how to describe it. They seemed to revert back to feral instincts, and it was pretty bad. Suffice to say, keep any and all vampires away from it unless you're testing the effects. That clan in western Greece should be shipping a load of vampires sentenced to death sometime later this week, so you'll have some test subjects. Oh," he added before he forgot, "and raise the mental wards before you do anything; when those vampires scream they render occlumency shields into mush."

"Fascinating," murmured he elderly man as he peered at the innocent-looking golden egg, and Harry rolled his eyes before turning on his heel and walking back to the elevator, waving over his shoulder.

"Yes Marty, fascinating. Keep me updated."

His trip back to England, and subsequently his London manor, was tiring, and the moment he stepped through the door Rose glomped him before pulling back and smacking his shoulder quite violently. As he was rubbing his now-hurting arm she crossed her arms, stepped back, and glared at him. "Why the hell didn't you contact me? It's been ten hours!"

He looked down at his clothes, or rather lack of, and then back at her before sighing. "And I was unconscious for the majority of it. Short version, vampires mutated by artifact, I killed the vampires, stole the artifact… and burned out the Amsterdam Catacombs while I was at it. I'm dead tired, feel like shit, stink of smoke, oil, and blood, and my core and mental shields are still recovering. As much as I appreciate that you were worried, I am in no way ready for a talking to."

Her eyes softened and she ran a hand through her short hair, still only down to her ears after four months of recuperation after her burns. He could feel the early morning heat from the veranda, beckoning him, but he sighed and shook his head. As much as he wanted to enjoy the day he needed to sleep, and a bed would be more conductive to that. "I'm sorry," she breathed after a moment, "I was just freaking out a bit. You're okay though?"

"Not really," he replied as she helped him up the stairs to the water floor, "but I will be. Those mutated vamps could scream like shit; they managed to shatter most of my mental defenses." She stared at him gravely, well aware just how difficult that was to do, and he nodded. "Yeah, not good, but I've got our best working on it. The clans'll be in a right mess; most of their counts are dead, so while I'm freshening up would you please contact the operations division and tell them to alert our insiders to the situation? Although it's regrettable what's happened this is the best time for us to get our players into top positions."

She nodded and kissed his blackened cheek before retreating back down the stairs and Harry walked into the steamy room before shedding his clothes and sinking into the spa with a groan of pleasure. An hour later Harry emerged looking like a red prune and feeling far better than he had when he'd gotten into the water. He arrived in the kitchen to find his fiancé eating pancakes, and smiled as she pushed a plate across to him. "Good morning."

He chuckled and drizzled lemon juice over the delectable meal in front of him, and then shook sugar over it. "Good morning love."

"How was work?"

He stifled a grin and hummed thoughtfully as if he was carefully considering the question. "Busy love, we had some trouble with the rubbish disposal agency so I had to go in and assess the situation. Health and safety nightmare."

She giggled and rearranged her hair so that it covered the right side of her face. It had become almost an unconscious action, and although Harry was saddened she felt she had to do it he didn't stop her. She knew he thought she was still beautiful, and she never moved to cover herself up when they were intimate. "Mm-hm."

Seven minutes later Harry's head hit the pillow, and as darkness flooded through his consciousness he wondered just what Dumbledore was going to do now that Sirius' escape had just become public.

Two days later he found out.

"Ah, Mister Potter, please have a seat."

Harry just stood beside the chair offered, as was customary, and Dumbledore sighed before nodding. "I have called you here today to warn you about a man called Sirius Black."

"Ah," Harry nodded, "right. You mean the 'mass murderer' Sirius Black who supposedly betrayed my parents to Voldemort?"

Dumbledore frowned. "You don't seem to hold these claims in very high regard, Mister Potter."

Harry shugged, "Why should I? The government didn't even give him a trial; a small fact I learned by placing a request to the Department of Administration. They replied telling me that there was no record of a trial."

Dumbledore frowned and leaned forwards. "And what made you wish to research Sirius Black, Mister Potter?"

Harry stared at Dumbledore and leaned forwards himself, still slightly shocked that he was getting asked such an easy question. "You're asking me why I would want to investigate the man that supposedly led to the murder of my parents? Is that right?" Dumbledore actually had the grace to look sheepish, and Harry sighed before leaning rocking back on his heels and slipping his hands into his pockets. "Look, Headmaster, I respect your achievements in the past. I respect that you are a holder of an Order of Merlin first class. Hell, I even respect the fact that you spy on your students to keep track of what goes on in the castle… but I'm afraid that I don't respect a lot of your decisions when it comes to me.

"I am the 'hero of the wizarding world', Headmaster, and it is in no way a self-proclaimed title. I was _one_ when Voldemort rocked along, and for all I know I peed on him. I supposedly refracted the killing curse, according to the 'official story', but how could anybody know that? My parents were dead, and I doubt Voldemort is going to tell everybody how it went. But I'm getting side-tracked; your decisions. I've been stuck in a house with three people that hate me, as you very well know; I did, after all, spell it out at the Opening Feast. Thing is, Headmaster, you insist I go back there. Wards are a good reason, but at the expense of my life? I did some research, and a house, which you could easily organize the purchase of as my magical guardian, under the Fidelius with you as its secret keeper would ensure my safety, my peace of mind, and my physical condition."

Dumbledore looked rather flabbergasted at Harry's argument, because everything he'd said was true… and there were some irrefutable points and ideas in there as well. "Mister Potter," he tried to assure him, "I am sure that you were exaggerating when you said that it is all at the stake of your life."

"I swore an oath, Headmaster, if it slipped your mind, that everything I said at the feast was true and unembellished." Dumbledore looked a little ill at the reminder, and Harry had to stifle a smirk. "Look, Headmaster, there's a couple of ways this whole shebang goes. I've had a pain in my scar for the entire year, which means that Voldemort is somewhere around this place. I know the philosopher's stone is being hidden past the Cerberus on the Third Floor corridor. I know that there's devil's snare, a chase the key game, and a chess board to get past. Haven't gone past that yet, because when I opened the next door there were trolls." Dumbledore looked alarmed, and Harry held up his hand to interrupt him. "I accidentally stumbled across Fluffy one night I was sneaking around after curfew. Filch was getting closer so I hid… and then turned around to find a rather large three headed dog looking at me.

"One thing led to another; the troll on Halloween, and Snape having bitemarks on his leg when I saw him soon after; then going to Hagrid and asking him about Fluffy, which he let slip. A little more pushing revealed that "it was a matter between Albus Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel." Some research revealed he was an alchemist, and the creator of the Philosopher's Stone. Add in the presence of Voldemort, who was dead and thus must be in a weakened form… and I come up with him trying to get the Stone to revive himself fully." He could see the complete shock in Dumbledore's eyes and smiled, but there was no warmth to it. "I'm not stupid Headmaster; I'm perceptive, cunning, and ambitious. As I said, there's two ways we can do this: either you and I coexist peacefully and work together, or you and I split ways and things start getting out of hand.

"I respect you, Headmaster, you've done a lot in your life to be very proud of, but as of late you've been slipping. Sirius Black incarcerated without a trial, putting me at the Dursleys where I've nearly been killed several times, allowing Snape to continue being an abhorrent professor… it's not good Headmaster."

Dumbledore stared at Harry with his pale blue eyes, and the young man was surprised when no mental probe came his way as he sighed and buried his face in his hands. "Mister Potter, you must understand that everything I do is for the-"

"Greater Good," Harry finished with a sigh of his own, "yes, of that I'm aware. The thing is, Headmaster, that it _isn't_ for the Greater Good. Will you let me tell you what I think about this year?"

"I doubt I could stop you Mister Potter."

Harry gave a small chuckled and nodded, "You would be right, Headmaster. Thanks to the help of Hermione and Nymphadora, I have deduced that this year is a test." He watched for a reaction, and saw a momentary flicker of worry cross Dumbledore's face, and he nodded – silently informing the old man that he'd seen it. Albus paled. "Surely you would know that Voldemort is here, and keeping the object of his desire locked in a school full of children? There is no clear motive, so I had to go deeper. I came up with several things: me, Voldemort, Philosopher's Stone, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, my skill on a broom, and my high marks in class. Do you know what all these things have in common?"

Dumbledore's face was drawn. "Do tell, Mister Potter."

"They all conform to the challenges to get to the stone. I noticed the Weasleys waiting for me yelling out quite loudly about how to get onto Platform nine and three quarters at the beginning of the year. Ronald Weasley knew who I was immediately, even though my picture hadn't even made the press at that point. You expected him to befriend me, thus the chess game. My skill on a broom; get the key. Hermione's brilliance, the Devil's Snare, possibly chess as well." He neglected to mention the potions, as he had told Dumbledore he hadn't made it past the trolls yet. "It was all tailored. It was all perfect but for one single thing."

"And what was that Mister Potter?" Dumbledore asked, sounding defeated, and Harry smiled darkly.

"It was _too_ perfect, Headmaster. Too personalized. What you are doing, Headmaster, is playing with fire – both in manipulating me, and in letting this Greater Good cloud your mind. We are not puppets and pawns in your game, Headmaster, we are people. We live, we have friends, we can think… we are _people_. I have tried to fix some of your mistakes, Headmaster. For instance, something you may have realized is the fact that virtually every student, bar those in Slytherin, has impenetrable occlumency barriers."

Dumbledore's head snapped up, and his wide eyes stared at Harry. "W-you had something to do with that?!"

Harry had seen Dumbledore frazzled only one before, and this made it twice. The first time was when Harry's name had come out of the Goblet of Fire. That was not his fault, and so being the cause of such shock made Harry rather pleased with himself, and he delighted in nodding and sending the man in front of him a smirk. He wished he had fangs, because then he'd look just that little bit more awesome. "Yes, Headmaster. Sanctioned by Professor Flitwick, and helped kept secret by Lady Hogwarts herself, I have been holding lessons on Occlumency for any student who wishes to protect their minds for non-suspect reasons… which is why Slytherin is rather rare. Blaize Zabini, Daphne Greengrass, and several other students of years above them have attended my course, but they are far outnumbered by the other houses."

"But… how? How can you even know Occlumency, let alone teach it?! And the danger you've put the school in-"

"The danger I've put the school in?" Harry interrupted icily, "Me? Headmaster, do not be hypocritical here. You have placed a priceless artifact in a school full of children to tempt Voldemort. You have allowed Snape-"

"Proffes-"

"Snape," Harry hissed dangerously, "free reign over the school. He can do no wrong, can he?"

"I trust Severus, Mister Potter."

"You are the only one," Harry said coldly, "except perhaps for the pampered godchild of said man. I propose a bet, Headmaster – and it _will_ be magically binding." Dumbledore sighed, and waved his hand to get Harry to continue. It was clear the very smart Slytherin in front of him was not taking no for an answer tonight. "Since you trust Snape so fully, Headmaster, you will be willing to put your precious things where your mouth is. I propose that you secretly observe Snape's class on a Thursday, as he has a full day's worth of lessons. I would then ask that you invite twenty Slytherin boys above first year and ask about Snape while skimming their surface thoughts with Occlumency – though I would leave Sarah Tylk, Byron Kelsull, Jamie Fields, Faith Adams, and Tyler Burns out of your interviews, they have rock-solid barriers around their minds."

"And what is the bet?"

"If, at the end of all that, you say that you can still think Snape is fit to be a Professor at this school, and would proclaim that to the press while providing all evidence you will find… and swear an oath as to the truthfulness of that statement, I will follow your every order."

Dumbledore seemed very interested now, and Harry stifled his smirk. "And if you win?"

"And if I win, which means that you would not do that, then… you will essentially be my 'proxy' magical guardian." Dumbledore's raised eyebrow prompted Harry to elaborate. "What I mean is that you will do everything I say when it comes to my personal life, for as long as you live. If I say emancipate me, you will allow me to be emancipated. If I say let me into my family vault and withdraw whatever I want then you will allow me to do so. If I wish to live alone, then you will allow me to do so. If I say I never want you to bother me again, then you will follow that order to a T."

Dumbledore stared at him over his half-moon glasses, and Harry stared through his – though the lenses were clear glass as the rituals he'd performed had fixed his eye-sight. Silence seeped through the room, until after nearly a minute of dead silence saves the shocked murmuring of the portraits Dumbledore nodded. "I find the terms fair, Mister Potter. I do hope you know what you are doing. You are condemning yourself to a life filled with my orders."

Harry tensed, but it was from concealing his jig of relief rather than anger. "I know what I am doing Headmaster. And when you swear the oath to the terms we discussed, I wish you to refer to me as the child born of James and Lilly Potter – simply so that you cannot negate the oath if my name ever changes – you know how inheritance laws can be."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at the thought Harry had clearly put into this, but nodded after a moment and held up his wand. Two minutes later both Harry and Dumbledore had sworn their abidance by the bet agreed upon, and Harry relaxed completely with a huge grin on his face. "I didn't think you would choose this Thursday, Headmaster."

"I wish to get the bet over and done with as soon as humanly possible, Mister Potter," Dumbledore told him with a genial smile. Harry shook his head to himself with an internal smirk; the old man wouldn't be so calm if he knew just what he would find when investigating the sallow Potions Master. The bet laid down, and virtually everything pending upon it, there was nothing much else to say, and Harry simply nodded before turning on his heel and walking out the door. The second he was out of earshot he crouched down and pumped his fists with a huge grin on his face.

Dumbledore had never been evil – senile, but not evil. In fact everything went to shit as soon as the old man had died last time, and he was good for a talk even in the past timeline when Harry was getting cluelessly manipulated. He really didn't want to fight Dumbledore on top of Voldemort, because even the latter would be hard to beat, and that wasn't counting the new player that had emerged. Harry knew that this new person was his fault, because in the past timeline there hadn't been one. But that aside, Harry was happy. In less than two days he was going to be completely free from Dumbledore's manipulations and there was nothing the old man could do about it. When he finally got to the Room of Requirement he found himself glomped by Hermione and Tonks, and then told quite firmly to explain just what the hell had happened.

Neville had stared with wide eyes when he heard Harry explain the bet he'd made with the Headmaster, though the Boy-Who-Lived was quite sure it was the fact that Dumbledore actually trusted Snape so blindly rather than his daring. Tonks thought it brilliant, and for Hermione it was the last nail in the coffin of authority worship. She'd been clinging onto the last threads with hope, but hearing that Dumbledore thought Snape was a fine man was just too much. She looked devastated, and Harry knew immediately why. Quickly getting Tonks and Neville into their training regime he took his youngest lover aside and sat down on the loveseat provided by the room before pulling her onto his lap.

He just hugged her, and she hugged him back, drawing comfort from the fact that although authority had crumbled, she still had him to give her absolute trust. He was perhaps the only person saves her parents that she would trust as much. "I can't believe he thinks of Snape so highly," she muttered with disbelief, "he… Dumbledore is supposed to keep everybody in the school safe! And he lets that man mind-rape students, and just plain rape them if what you said is true!"

"It is," he affirmed lowly, "and I'll never understand that about Dumbledore… but he's not a bad person. I should be furious at what he made me go through, but without it I wouldn't be the man I am today." He shook his head after a moment and sent Hermione a small smile before leaning down and kissing her sweetly on the lips. "You okay now?"

She nodded, and then looked across at Neville as she bit at her lip. "I… I mean it's probably a really bad idea… forget it."

He chuckled and tweaked her nose with his finger, making her jerk and look up at his smiling face. "You should know by now that I listen to those I love, 'Mione. What were you going to say?"

She chewed at her lip slightly, and Harry had to resist the urge to lean down and kiss her; she just looked so damn cute! "I… well what do you think about showing Neville you? I mean the real you? He's already felt your aura… so I thought that maybe you'd like another person you could trust her in Hogwarts. Tonks is leaving next year after all."

Harry nodded thoughtfully and looked across at the Could-Have-Been-The-Boy-Who-Lived. He was casting Avada Kedavra after Avada Kedavra to exercise his magical core and get his body used to channeling dark magic, and his face was set in a look of grim determination as he pounded the stone-likeness of Bellatrix Lestrange. He'd spoken to the young wizard several times in depth, and Neville had finally cracked about a month ago and told him about his goal to get revenge for his parents. Harry had been thinking about a way to heal Frank and Alice ever since Neville had joined the group, but had yet to come up with something concrete.

He had considered The Phoenix Stone, but it had to be applied _before_ injury to have any effect, and even then it wasn't a cure-all. It didn't help at all if the damage was Pitch-magic, for instance, and it would only do as good of a job as a healer in all other instances, only faster. A broken bone would take half an hour in comparison to two hours using conventional potions, but it was by no means a stone of invulnerability. Its immortality was age-wise, not all-encompassing.

He did, however, have an entire unit at The Syndicate looking into the issue and there had been breakthroughs but no usable product as of yet. He could see a bit of his old self in Neville, and knew that had the young man delved into the Dark Arts without his current mental barriers it wouldn't have taken much for him to go insane. He didn't want that for Neville, and getting him integrated into The Syndicate early _would_ be a good idea – both to give him hope about his parents getting cured, and also to get in early and establish his loyalty. In the past timeline Neville had gone on to actually _chair_ the ICW, and had done amazing things. He had potential, lots of it if nurtured, and that was precicely what Harry planned on doing.

Finally breaking his gaze away from his friend he looked down at Hermione who was looking worried and leaned down once more to kiss her. He could feel her surprise when it wasn't just a peck but quickly kissed him back when she realized it was one of the kisses she always craved from him. Although they weren't sexually involved, it didn't mean they weren't heavily affectionate. She tasted of vanilla from sucking on the sweets she'd taken a liking to when Harry had taken her and Tonks out on a double-date in London, and as her tongue tentatively poked through his lips and roamed his mouth he almost couldn't believe that he was kissing the young woman who, in a different future, had once tried to have him tortured simply to gain his knowledge.

But that was another Hermione; this was _his_ 'Mione; his lover; his girlfriend, and one day his fiancé.

And she was beautiful.

When he finally pulled away he licked the string of saliva that was connecting their mouths away, and Hermione's blush flourished until he thought she was about to faint. Her little pink tongue poked out and ran across her blood-red, slightly swollen lips, and she stared up at him with glazed eyes and a giddy smile on her face. Harry wasn't unaffected in the least, and was grinning like a madman as well as poking her bum with his raging erection. She could feel it, and it added to her confidence and pleasure; she had never seen herself as pretty before she'd met Harry, and knowing that he found her so attractive that she could elicit such a reaction without even being naked – simply though a kiss with no wandering hands… it made her feel precious; wanted; _needed_. She was actually _needed_ by the man she loved, and it felt like she was on top of the world.

He let the complex glamour charm fall off of his body, and then grinned at Hermione with a wink. "You make a good point love." She blushed, but was clearly bursting with pride. Harry turned his head over to the training area. "Oi, Nev!"

Neville's head snapped around at the unfamiliar baritone, and when he saw a man where Harry had previously been he raised his wand and held it steady with narrowed eyes. Tonks grinned as she pushed the tip of it down, and Neville shot her a look of 'what the hell are you doing?!'. "No pointing wands at my fiancé and girlfriend," she told him with a smirk, and Neville's head snapped to her ring finger, and then jerked to Harry who was smirking, and Hermione who looked very comfortable in his arms.

"H-Harry?" he choked out, and the green-eyed wizard grinned as he nodded.

"Right in one Nev, now why don't you take a seat and we can explain just what's going on."

By the end of the tale and offers the young man had been accepted into The Syndicate in much the same capacity as Flitwick, and Harry made a mental note to get him integrated into the Herbology mailing list. Neville was speechless when Harry told him that he had an entire department working on a cure for his parents' overexposure to the Cruciatus curse, and had actually hugged his friend for doing so much for him.

Neville had never been confident before meeting Harry; he wasn't popular, well thought of, or magically powerful… but just like most people that met Harry he had changed. He was now third in their year academically, right after Hermione with Harry topping the list; he could fly damn well; he was popular with his yearmates despite his association with a Slytherin; he now held an air of confidence around him that was almost as overpowering as Harry's. Now he'd been given a chance to work with the brightest minds in Herbology via correspondence; a cure was being worked on for his parents; he was learning dark magic safely; and he had _true_ friends who he knew he could count on.

When Neville went to bed that night he had a single thought before Morpheus claimed him.

'_It's good to be me.'_


	13. Chapter 13

Harry had Potions first period on the Thursday, and he made sure to get there twenty minutes early; ten minutes after Dumbledore had left the Head Table. When he walked into the dim room he sighed and meandered over to the empty corner of the room before kicking out at shin-level. A muttered curse met his ears and a moment later Dumbledore appeared as he lifted the invisibility cloak looking quite put out. Before he could speak however, Harry crossed his arms and glared. "I said observe _secretly_, Headmaster. Secretly means hiding to the best of your ability so that Snape won't know you're there. That means concealing your aura, minimizing your magic footprint, getting comfortable so that you won't feel the need to rearrange yourself, having your wand out to clear your bladder and such, and anything else you know how to do."

Dumbledore sighed and nodded, knowing that he'd been caught out, and conjured a chair to sit on before casting several very high-level undetectable wards to conceal his presence. When he disappeared under the invisibility cloak Harry closed his eyes and felt out with his magic in an attempt to sense him. It took several long seconds for him to catch the slight bleeding of magic from the wards, but he was concentrating completely on finding them and he knew where they'd be as well. "Good," he muttered when he opened his eyes and stared at the space, having to fight against the compulsion to glaze over it, and turned on his heel to sit down at the back of the class before pulling out his potions equipment and setting it all up.

Several minutes later Neville rolled on in and smiled before sitting next to Harry and setting up as well, asking him about several things he found in the Herbology book Harry had lent him. He knew that Dumbledore was there as well, because Harry had warned him the previous night, and so refrained from talking about anything too advanced; they were, after all, 'just first years'.

Over the next ten minutes the rest of the class trickled in and settled down and Harry caught the customary glare from Draco. The little ferret would never try anything though; Harry had made doubly sure to intimidate the shit out of him as soon as possible to correct his thinking that Harry or his friends were easy targets. When Snape strode into the room, his robes billowing behind him, Harry rolled his eyes as he opened his text book. "Potter!"

Harry looked up expectantly and Snape sneered at him. Harry was completely used to it and so sent the man a dead-pan look in return. "Did I ask you to open your book?"

Harry looked around the class and saw that pretty much everybody else had their books open, and then turned back to his 'Professor'. "No sir."

"Then detention with Filch tonight at seven," the greasy-haired man smirked, "and ten points from Gryffindor for your slovenly dress."

"Oi!" Ron yelled out in protest, "You can't do that! He's a bloody Slytherin!"

Snape's ire quickly turned to the red-haired boy and his sneer became all the more pronounced. "Ah, and now we hear from the _Weasley_ in the room. Another ten points from Gryffindor for speaking without being spoken to, and another five for arguing against my decision. And a detention with Filch at seven tonight; you can join _Potter_ in cleaning the Trophy Room."

Ron looked pale but was still opening his mouth to complain when Seamus slapped his hand over his mouth. Turning back to Harry Snape snarled. "Longbottom, switch partners with Zabini." Draco smirked as he approached Harry and Neville sent his friend an apologetic look as he packed up and went to sit beside his fellow Occlumens. Harry wasn't surprised at the turn of events. Snape then proceeded to deduct several more points from Gryffindor for various things such as breathing loudly, being too short, and being too quiet before waving his wand at the blackboard where a veritable chicken-scribble appeared detailing the potion they were to brew. Giving twenty points to Slytherin for acting properly, despite them doing nothing but snicker in most part at the Gryffindors, he then sat at his desk and proceeded to scratch away at something.

It didn't take long for Draco to try and screw with Harry. Harry deftly swiped away a lead pellet that the smirking blonde had lobbed at his bubbling cauldron merely five minutes into brewing and Snape immediately pounced. "Potter, five points from Gryffindor for not accepting Mister Malfoy's input."

"Sir," Harry interjected calmly, "lead added to the current mixture would likely kill me-"

"Five more points for arguing, and another night's detention with Filch," Snape sneered at him, and Harry sighed before going back to his potion. By the end of the lesson he'd lost Gryffindor a further thirty points, and had another two detentions with Filch… despite being in Slytherin and completing a perfect potion, which Harry made sure to take a sample vial of before the greasy git banished it calling it a 'mess' and deducting another ten points. As everybody else packed up Harry walked over to the corner and pretended to check his satchel for something.

"So there's period one," he muttered to the invisible Dumbledore, "and as you can see… well he could quite easily ruin my future career options." He held out his vial of potion surreptitiously, and a moment later it disappeared from his fingers. "An invigoration draught," he explained quietly, "and at a hospital grade if the clarity, colour, and viscosity are anything to go by. I got a Troll mark for this lesson. Get ready to see another six periods of insulting, demeaning, biased, disgusting… well I don't think you could even call it teaching Headmaster."

With that he turned on his heel and walked out the door, but not before Snape deducted another five points from Gryffindor for walking too loud. Every other lesson went without a hitch; he easily breezed through transfiguration, charms, and DADA, even managing ten times to hurl a tripping hex at Quirrel without being caught. By the end of the lesson Voldemort's host looked positively furious. Harry sent a sneezing hex just as he left for good measure. He could have sworn the man had cursed quite violently as the door closed behind him. It was an hour before dinner that Harry felt his magic relax and accept a surrender, and he grinned in the middle of reading a book on some Pitch rituals he had pillaged from one of Grindelwald's hidden caches. Hermione felt his change in emotion and stared up at him with a raised eyebrow. "What?" It hit her after a moment and she raised a hand over her mouth, "Oh, you just won the bet, didn't you!"

He nodded and Tonks sat down having heard the last bit of the conversation, also grinning widely. Tonks didn't have many friends, if any in her own year, and so she had taken to hanging out and studying with her girlfriend and fiancé in her free time. She didn't even miss the lack of company from her age group; even Neville was better companionship than her fellow seventh years. "Loves," he said as he stood and pecked them both on the lips, "I'm afraid I must be off to see a certain man about my personal life. See you at dinner?"

Both nodded, beaming up at him, happy that he was finally free from the shackles of manipulation. He sauntered towards the Headmaster's office and found himself arriving at the gargoyle just as it was closing after a billowing black cloak that disappeared up the stairs hiding behind it. At a verbal command the gargoyle stopped moving and then opened once more to allow him silent entrance. He snuck up the stairs and cracked the office door open slightly so that he could hear what was happening.

"Albus, you wished to see me?"

Harry heard a deep sigh from the room mere centimeters to his left, and waited for the reckoning. "Yes, Severus. Please sit." A second's worth of rustling later and Dumbledore continued; his voice devoid of all its usual joviality. "For years I've sat in this chair as Headmaster of Hogwarts, and ever since nineteen eighty one you have taught potions here after defecting from the Death Eaters. I've trusted you for so long that I am ashamed to admit that that trust turned blind."

"Albus?" came an uncertain, tentative question from the potions master, and Harry sat his back up against the wall and smiled darkly to himself.

Another sigh sounded beyond the door, and Harry could almost envision Dumbledore rubbing his temples. "Severus, I made a magical bet with Mister Potter."

There was several seconds of silence, and then a cold, "What kind of bet would you make with an arrogant, worthless-"

"He is anything but worthless Severus!" bellowed Dumbledore, and a shocked silence followed until Dumbledore continued in a harsh whisper. "He played me like a fiddle Severus, but now I see that he did it for the true Greater Good. My view of the Greater Good has become clouded over the years, where I see any means justified to reach the end. Perhaps I was suppressing the numerous complaints I received about you, but I am at fault. The bet I made with Mister Potter was to observe your classes, and interview any of your students above first year; asking about you while skimming their minds with legilimency."

Dead, heavy silence permeated every single square centimeter of space, and Harry smirked to himself. "What?!" hissed Snape lowly, and Dumbledore shuffled.

"Today I observed you secretly from the back right hand corner of the class. After observing your bias, attempts at mind-rape, insults, disgusting conduct, and sabotage, I then summoned a mixture of second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh year boys from your house to my office. When I asked about you I found numerous memory charms; secrecy charms to be precise. It took some work, Severus, but I unraveled them. Even if I didn't want this, by this time tomorrow you would be in a cell in Azkaban because your victims are no longer sentenced to silence."

It was at this point Harry entered the room; quietly, almost silently, but he entered. He saw Dumbledore's eyes widen in shock at seeing him standing there, and Snape had yet to realize that the boy who was the cause of his predicament was right behind him. His fists were clenched on the arms of the chair; white from the pressure, and he was shaking with fury. "My mother," he said coldly, eliciting a stiffening and low growl from the seated professor, "wrote a letter to me in the Family Vault."

"Potter!"

"BE STILL!" Harry screamed, and Snape collapsed back into his chair involuntarily as a wave of furious anger smacked him in the face as if a physical entity. "She wrote that she discovered what was required for inauguration into the Death Eaters. She even managed to discover just which children and women you raped and murdered too. She wrote that she loathed you with all of her being; that she hoped you would burn in hell for your crimes. Without me that would not have happened, but now you will be in Azkaban before the day is out I would hazard. You have raped the sons of several pureblood families, as well as threatened them with death to secure a secrecy oath. You'll never see the light of day again, you foul, disgusting piece of filth."

Harry had been expecting the movement, so when Snape charged at him with a roar and started drawing his wand he was ready. The two Black Daggers were in his hands before the potions master was even out of his seat, and Harry glided forwards with a speed that belied his true skill before lifting both up, and then thrusting downwards. Two muted, squelching thuds echoed out in the room, followed by a deathly silence permeated only by sporadic sounds of liquid spurting onto the ground. And then Snape howled as he stared down at the stumps where his arms had once been, and Harry stabbed both daggers directly into the stumps before focusing the darkest magic he had within him to the stump's tissue.

Snape's screams rose to a crescendo until only a rattle escaped his throat, and he finally fell to the ground, unconscious as Harry removed the two blades from his now-blackened, ruined flesh. "The Black Ceremonial Daggers," Harry said conversationally as he cleaned the blades on Snape's robes, "imbued with dark magic. His arms will never be able to be regrown, nor will any prosthetic function due to the interference of the magic now residing in the stumps. You must understand, Headmaster, that this was for the Greater Good." Dumbledore winced at the sarcastically grandfatherly tone Harry employed for the last sentence and Harry turned around to look at him. "I am glad for two reasons, Headmaster. Firstly, your eyes have finally been opened, and hopefully you will now be able to see your other mistakes. Secondly, I now have complete control over 'us'." He sat down on the chair recently vacated by Snape, and leaned forwards with a cool smile. "So let's set my ground rules before you start going off about me maiming a man who was likely about to kill me."

Over the next half an hour Harry rattled off a huge group of commands to Dumbledore to ensure that his life would no longer be interfered with, at least by the old man, in any way, shape, or form. By the end of the meeting Dumbledore looked as if he had aged thirty years and Harry had full access to all the Potter vaults, legally this time, permission to live alone, and an assurance that he would not be spied upon by the old man. He did leave wiggle room for Dumbledore, enough to allow him to inform Harry of the Order, Voldemort, and other such things concerning the ongoing war… but he wasn't holding out much hope about actually getting any information.

From the still-evasive answers he knew that although he wouldn't be pitted against Dumbledore, nor would he receive much support. It was even better than if he'd have killed the old coot off, which he had to admit had crossed his mind at several points. He was planning on heading to dinner early and was just about to take a shortcut when Harry heard the voice of perhaps one the most annoying, irritating, and head-slamming-against-concrete-wall-stupid person in the Wizarding World.

Which was saying something.

"Come of Fred, just give me some!"

Harry pressed himself up against the stone archway and smiled when he heard both of the twins respond.

"Ah, ickle Ronniekins,"

"You know we both like Harry," George continued before ceding the floor to Fred.

"And because we like Harry,"

"We're hardly about to go and give you,"

"Weapons to use against his girlfriends!"

"You're barmy, Ron,"

"Completely clueless," offered Fred.

"And idiotic. If you want to mess with Harry or his girls…"

"You won't have us!" they both finished in unison, and Harry heard an angry huff before thumping footsteps slowly disappeared down the corridor. Harry stepped out of the shadows and rounded the corner with a warm smile on his face, and the twins quickly caught sight of him and stared for a moment before sending him dual-crooked smiles. "Guess you heard all that?"

"Uhuh, and I appreciate it guys. In fact I might just have a business proposal for you, especially seeing as the next potions professor will actually be vaguely competent. Do you two keep up with the papers?" Nods, and Harry smiled, "Well then how would you like to work with The Syndicate's Potions and Warfare division?"

Of course that sparked a conversation that was best held behind closed doors, and Harry had to haul the two into a deserted classroom before casting a veritable swarm of privacy spells as he explained. They swore the oaths on the spot once Harry informed them about The Syndicate's true purpose, and the resources and knowledge they'd have access to. Of course Dumbledore didn't know he would be hiring Potions Mistress Erin Glassey yet, but once she appeared and presented herself for the position he'd be crazy to turn her down – even for Horace Slughorn. She was a world renowned Potion's Mistress; accredited by the ICW; an ex-EU Unspeakable where she specialized in potions; and holder of a teaching degree from Harvard University, with honours.

In other words, an actually _qualified_ teacher.

After stopping by his dorm to write a quick couple of letters Hermes flamed in to take them to his liaisons within The Syndicate, and Harry jogged down to the Great Hall. He quickly found his seat beside Tonks at the Hufflepuff table and Hermione quickly joined them both; seated to his left while Tonks had his right. Harry stifled his smirk at their expressions and plastered a heavenly innocent one on his face – eliciting identical warning growls from his two lovers. Hermione was just about to voice her frustrations when the doors to the Great Hall slammed wide open and Dumbledore steamed into the room like a train on full-tilt. While he had indeed wanted to berate Harry for his ruthless actions, he wasn't about to stand for one of his professors raping students – and he was furious about it.

The look on Dumbledore's face was one that hadn't been seen in many years; indeed it had been hiding behind his grandfatherly demeanor ever since he'd defeated Grindelwald. His eyes were chips of ice; cold and hard, and gasps rung out from the entire student body, and indeed the staff, when Madam Bones strode through behind Dumbledore; her head held high and her wand by her side – but it was what followed _her_ that drew the most attention, and indeed squeals of shock.

Six aurors were dragging an armless Snape down the center of the room by his feet, and Harry was pretty sure, by both the pained expression on Snape's face and the furious ones on the aurors, that there was no charm to protect his back that was dragging across the stone floor. Finally there was a muted thump as the aurors threw Snape none-too-gently onto the stairs leading up to the staff table, and Dumbledore pulled out his wand before levitating Snape upwards so that he faced the four house tables. Snape's lips were moving at a hundred miles an hour; his face red and his eyes murderous as he glared at Harry, but the young man himself just offered the man a smirk before turning his attention, along with the rest of the hall, to Dumbledore when the old man spoke. "This previous weekend a student approached me in my office – an odd occurrence in itself – and informed me of a very disturbing and indeed disgusting collection of events that have taken place beneath my very nose, and that I have been too blind to correct."

He waved his hand vaguely at the red-faced man beside him, but didn't even offer his long-time-trusted-spy a sideways glance. "Severus Snape has been a potion's professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for eleven years, and during that time I have repeatedly ignored complaints put against him because I trusted him. The student in question quite rightly pointed out that I was the only one." He sighed, sounding tired, and conjured a chair before sitting and conjuring seats for the aurors and Madam Bones. "I childishly, though in the long run it was for the Greater Good, rose to the bait of this student and made a magical bet. We agreed that I would observe Severus' classes for a day, and then interview second through seventh year male students.

"I was confident that I would win the bet; that Severus would prove himself a talented, fair teacher." He winced at the scoffs and hostile looks from the majority of the student body, and closed his eyes before nodding. "As I can see virtually all of you know what I found. During the first lesson I watched as Severus essentially authorized the attempted murder of a student, and take points for that student protecting himself. It should be noted that he soon after awarded points to the would-be-murderer for 'trying to help'." People that had been present in the lesson glanced at Harry before returning their attention forwards once more. "I watched him insult, demean, and mentally assault students in a violent, despicable manner," he spat, "and that was only the tip of the iceberg. When I interviewed students I discovered that they were under the effects of a powerful, binding secrecy spell.

"With work I managed to remove the restriction and discover what was being hidden, and what I have found both appalls, saddens, and disappoints me. I will not go into details, but for these crimes Severus Snape will likely never see outside of a cell for the rest of his entire life. I am appalled at the act; I am saddened that so many lives have been ruined; and I am disappointed in myself for blindly trusting somebody. I am, in part, responsible for what happened to so many, and to those that know what I am speaking about… I apologize again, and I hope that what is happening today will ease your minds at least a little."

Open mouths were the most prominent reactions from everybody. Dumbledore was _never_ wrong, but if Severus Snape was being held in front of them, armless and with magic-suppressing shackles around his feet, it was clear that not only had he made a mistake, but it had been a momentous one. He bowed after a moment and stood, waving his hand towards the Head of the DMLE. "I will now cede the floor to Madam Bones; the Minister of Law Enforcement here in the magical world."

The aunt of Susan Bones nodded and took Dumbledore's place beside the floating Severus Snape, and she sent the man a snarl of complete contempt and disgust before pulling a piece of parchment from within her robes, clearing her throat, and speaking. "Due to the circumstances of this arrest, and what it is for, it has been decided that word of these crimes will be spoken here to decrease rumors and spread only the truth." Harry looked around and saw several people writing furiously, word-for-word, what was happening, and made a mental note to keep an eye on the media's inside sources. "I received word a mere fifteen minutes ago about the crimes committed by Severus Snape through Albus Dumbledore's phoenix. As soon as I saw the list of charges an emergency Wizengamot session was called. Within two minutes everybody was assembled, and I informed them of the situation. Five minutes ago I received my official orders, and here they are."

She cleared her throat, and the hall held their collective breath – all except Harry who was sipping on a chalice of wine with a wide smirk on his face, infuriating the immobile criminal even more. "By unanimous order of the Wizengamot, approval of the Minister of Magic and his office, and the entire DMLE, Severus Snape is hereby sentenced to three years in Azkaban."

Yells of protest came from the Slytherin table, mainly the male population, and Amelia immediately raised her wand before letting off cannon-blast hex. All noise immediately ceased, and she continued as if she had never been interrupted. "This is to ensure he will experience hell on Earth before, after his sentence in Azkaban, being sentenced to the Kiss."

This time the entire hall exploded into applause, and Harry could see several Slytherin boys and men crying with relief and happiness. Gryffindor, unfortunately, was mostly cheering because they wouldn't have to put up with the Greasy Git ever again – not at all comprehending the gravity of the situation. She cleared her throat again, and had to resort to another cannon-blast charm to quieten the students. "Thank you," she said with a slight edge to her voice, clearly irritated at being interrupted. "Severus Snape's crimes are as disgusting as they are horrifying, and as agreed upon the list of crimes will be released in a later press conference to allow the victims time to prepare.

"My second order of business here today, however," she said before her eyes flickered to Harry, and the young man groaned before slugging back all his wine and then reaching into his robes to pull loose a hip flask. He could see Amelia trying not to laugh as he drank the entire thing dry, and then hold it high above his lips like a dehydrated man looking for just another single drop of water. "The young man who brought these charges to bear actually informed me far before Albus Dumbledore contacted me." Harry grinned slightly tipsily at Dumbledore's shocked expression, and then looked back to Amelia whose lips were twitching with amusement.

"It was why I was able to get the Wizengamot assembled so quickly. But indeed, this student risked an awful lot, as well as delivering scarily detailed and proficient information fully admissible in court. His knowledge of the laws was almost scary – even to a person like me who has been working the law even before this young man was born. But what truly stood out in this instance was what he did to prevent the crimes from continuing further. I am sure it has become almost common knowledge within this school that this young man has been teaching Occlumency, and has, with a one-hundred percent success rate, made students' minds impenetrable."

All eyes turned to Harry, who was now smiling genially, and whose eyes looked a little bit glazed over, and Hermione looked at him disapprovingly; not at all for what he'd done, but for the fact that he'd gotten himself tipsy to face all the attention. She never really understood it; addressing The Syndicate, being in business meetings, and with them… he was fine, but as soon as he was put in the public spotlight he hated it.

"Moreover he risked Azkaban himself by cursing Severus Snape to prevent the majority of the crimes from happening again. From his information he was lucky he discovered the crimes so quickly, else we may have had more to add to the ever-growing list." She smiled genuinely at Harry and motioned to him, and he smiled resignedly back before sighing and standing up; slowly making his way towards the stern-seeming woman. "For an infallible sense of justice and selflessness; for protecting the younger generation from illegal mental invasions; for stopping the reign of terror Severus Snape instilled, the Ministry of Magic in a whole hereby wishes to present Harry James Potter with an Order of Merlin, second class, for his actions in bringing this criminal to justice."

There was about five seconds of silence before the first firework went off. Harry hadn't even sensed the magical signature and so nearly went AWOL on whoever was attacking him. What he hadn't expected to turn around to see was a huge, larger-than-life lightshow showing a likeness of himself winking at the audience with his arms around a rather accurate rendition of Tonks and Hermione. The words: "Harry Potter – Ladies Man!" proudly glimmering beneath the picture made the young man himself nearly keel over. As it was he was blushing up a storm. Laughter and applause burst through the room, but however tipsy he was he was still as sharp as a tack, and all noise ceased when he spun around and brought up fully-fledged Ageis Shield that gonged deeply as a sickly dark curse impacted upon its surface. Before even the aurors could react Harry had collapsed the magical energy protecting him and then hurled it brutally towards his assailant where it smacked into Draco Malfoy's ribcage with a sickening crunch.

Draco fell backwards gurgling blood and clutching at his chest, and Harry slowly lowered his wand as two of the aurors rushed to the heavily injured student to begin healing. Madam Pomfrey rushed to help the two, and Harry sighed before turning back to Madam Bones who looked shocked, but after a moment smiled a little before motioning him forwards. When he arrived in front of her she opened a velvet case and removed the medal from within. The Order of Merlin Second Class medal was different from the First class in the respect that the ribbon was silver and red stripes instead of gold and silver, and the top bar was made of platinum instead of gold… which was a bit odd considering the former was more expensive than the latter – but nobody said that the magical world was logical.

She pinned it to his breast pocket before holding out her hand, and she actually blushed when Harry bent over her knuckles and kissed them. He raised his eyes to look at her with a roguish grin as he slowly released her fingers. "Madam Bones," he said quietly so that nobody but them would hear, "I have placed a rune on your middle finger's knuckle. When you are alone, and in a very secure place, channel some magic into it. I will be there momentarily – you and I have things to discuss."

She looked deep into his serious eyes, and after several seconds of searching nodded with a small smile. "Very well Mister Potter, I look forward to it."

He nodded friendlily before bowing and retreating from the platform, and Tonks and Hermione hurriedly made room for him again before immediately gripping his hands underneath the table the moment he sat – beaming proudly at him. He felt his heart soar. Despite hating the spotlight, and hating getting medals from such a corrupt agency, if it got him smiles such as those he was glad to have gone through the tedious process. Following the aurors and Madam Pomfrey declaring Draco stable, and Harry confirming he'd like to press charges, Snape, his godson, and the ministerial entourage left Hogwarts with two new criminals in their custody.

Of course after dinner, and indeed during it, Harry was bombarded with attention, questions, and multiple requests for autographs. Hermione, Tonks, and Dumbledore had helped in getting Harry out of the mess, and for that at least Harry was grateful. The young man had to smile when an owl flew down to land in front of Dumbledore, and Harry almost laughed at the highly interested and surprised look that appeared a moment later – apparently Erin Glassey moved fast and had already applied for the open Potions position. He watched Dumbledore quickly compose a reply with a grin on his wrinkled face, and calmly returned to his dinner when Fawkes appeared to deliver the letter.

When he returned to his room he had to pass through the Common Room, and found almost all of Slytherin house waiting for him. A few looked highly hostile, Pansy Parkinson and company of course, but the rest looked surprised and shocked. It was finally a fourth year prefect Harry knew to be quite popular within the house that stepped forward, and he took in a deep breath before looking straight into Harry's eyes. "We realize that for almost the entire year we're been inimical towards you, Mister Potter, however we thought that you were just an upstart, arrogant little know-it-all."

Harry nodded in understanding, but raised an eyebrow. "Well I shan't mention how you treated Draco Malfoy then."

The prefect, and indeed the majority of the house, blushed with embarrassment at the subtle rebuke, but the young man nodded all the same. "Well yes… but we just wanted to thank you and tell you that we'll accept your advice from now on. Many of us thought that the whole Heir of Slytherin thing was a trick, but I suppose that this was the straw that broke the Griffin's back."

Harry nodded after a moment, and then locked eyes with Pansy, whose mouth immediately snapped shut. "Thank you Daniel, and those that agree. I believe we can get along, at the very least, amiably… but I will warn every single one of you: try hurting me, my friends, or my girlfriends and there will be absolute hell to pay. What I did to Draco I can make look like a walk in the park if I'm motivated enough."

Pansy was the first to nod furiously, and Harry smirked before nodding once more and retreating to his room. His new medal was placed inside his secure wardrobe compartment in his trunk, along with the rest of his robes, and he quickly slipped into some dark jeans, a comfortable emerald silk shirt, and a charcoal duster. His fluffy dog slippers completed his ensemble. He did it as much for the shock factor as for the fact that they were more comfortable than any other slippers he'd ever tried in any timeline. When he walked out into the common room everybody silenced, and stared at him with mixed parts astonishment and disbelief.

In front of them stood a man who was deadly in battle, cunning in all his dealings, and as cold as ice saves to a select few, and he looked every part the powerful social figure he was.

Except for the slippers.

However dangerous he was, it didn't detract from the fact that he liked a good prank once in a while – and with the reactions he was getting this one took the top spot. He was just about to sit down when he felt the ring on his finger buzz twice before turning cold, and he froze mid-sit before straightening again – bringing even more attention to him. He gave a small smile and then held out his arm, calling out with his magic. When Hermes appeared on his outstretched arm he smirked, and gave a small mocking bow to the room at large. "Excuse me."

The last thing he saw before flames encroached on his vision was a common room filled with shocked students. The next thing he saw and felt was a wand pressed against his nose, and he looked down the dark wood right into the wary grey eyes of Amelia Bones; head of the DMLE and one, if not _the_, of the more competent people in the Ministry. "I believe my phoenix," he said with a small smile on his lips, "is proof of my identity Madam Bones."

Her eyes searched his and found only amusement and amiability, and the wand at his nose slowly lowered before, with a small 'schlip' sound it disappeared up her sleeve. Harry watched her walk back to her leather chair with respect; not once did she bare her back fully to him. "Mister Potter-"

"Harry, please," he insisted with a genial smile as he sat down on the seat she had offered him, and she smiled before giving a small nod.

"Then I must insist you call me Amelia. You said you had something to speak with me about?"

He nodded in the affirmative, and then pondered for several moments. Amelia was more than happy to give him time; sipping on her small tumbler of brandy as he did so, and she placed it on her knee when he nodded to himself and re-established eye contact. "Before we begin I must assure you of my identity – fully. Is there any method you can think of for me to do this? Something that you would accept as irrefutable?"

She stared at him for several very long moments; her eyes calculating and curious, as well as a tad suspicious. "I would accept the judgment of the goblins on this matter." Harry bowed his head slightly and looked over to Hermes who was sitting on the hearth of the fire enjoying the heat. The bird trilled before flaming away, already knowing what Harry wanted him to do, and Amelia shivered. "I find myself curious why your phoenix elicits a negative effect rather than a positive," she admitted, and Harry smiled.

"That is because Hermes is a Dark Phoenix – the rarest of their breed." He saw Amelia twitch at the mention of dark and he shrugged with a nod – an expression very much unlike what one would expect from an eleven year old on his face. "You would be right in thinking Hermes has an affinity for Dark magic." He could see the older woman's body tense in preparation and smiled disarmingly at her. "Of course Dark magic is different from evil, Amelia. Fawkes, for instance, is quite a light phoenix. In a battle, if he had to attack, he would do so in a 'lighter' manner; disabling them often painlessly."

"And your dark phoenix?"

"Less inhibited," Harry said with a smile as he poured himself a small glass of whiskey, "and yes, Amelia," he assured her with a small chuckle, "I have drunk before. Hermes is less inhibited, and more… worldly would be a good term-"

He was interrupted by a flare of black flames, and Amelia jerked before relaxing, though with shock in her expression, when she saw Ragnok standing there looking just as amused as Harry had at her jumpiness. He, at least, had the good fortune of not having a wand pressed into his nose. "Ah, Ragnok, just in time to hear me explain a little about Hermes."

The goblin smiled and nodded before conjuring himself a stone chair and taking a seat, waving his hand as he did so. "Please, don't let my arrival stop you Harry."

Amelia looked rightly gob smacked at the familiarity the pair was exhibiting, but paid careful attention when Harry continued with his explanation of his familiar. "Where was I? Ah, worldly. On a battlefield Hermes would cause pain, suffering, and destruction. If he saw an enemy torturing an ally then he would poison his talons and inject them with acid; burning them alive from inside out. If he saw an ally get killed then he would destroy the murderer utterly until they begged for death. Hermes sees this world as it really is; an ugly, hateful place filled with greed. Fawkes wants to see only the very best result – just like Dumbledore. Dumbledore, for instance, believed that Snape had repented. Fawkes, while almost certainly feeling the dark, sickening taint still in the man's aura, would have liked to think that there was still hope.

"The truth is, Amelia, Ragnok, that some are beyond redemption. The Dark mark is unable to be placed while under the imperius and without soul sacrifices – often preceded by rape and murder to torture the victim's souls beforehand. Death Eaters, for Hermes and me, are fair game."

"You would kill?"

Harry looked at the woman in front of him and raised an eyebrow as he took a small sip from his glass. "What makes you think I haven't already?"

She had nothing to say to that, and Harry turned to Ragnok before nodding once he saw he wasn't about to get an answer. The King of Goblins walked over and sliced Harry's offered hand, and held out a silvery-green crucible beneath where the blood was gathering. When it was half-filled it flashed, the cut on Harry's hand no longer there, and Ragnok pulled his hands away from the small cup where it hovered in mid-air. A green glow slowly came from his blood, and after several moments a brilliant flash of light forced all of them to look away. When they returned their eyes to the space Ragnok was holding a piece of parchment and handed it silently across to Amelia – whose eyes boggled when they saw Harry's name at the top of the report.

"L-_Lord _Harry James Potter-_Black_?!"

"Yes," he revealed with a smile, "_Lord _Potter-Black."

"But that's impossible – you have to be seventeen to take up the mantle of either, and that's not even taking into the account that you're Lord _Black_!"

"Well, Amelia, surely you know by now that Sirius Black has escaped Azkaban, no?" Her eyes sharpened, and he held up his hands disarmingly when he saw her wand fly into her fingers. "I am fully aware of his whereabouts, Amelia, however to disclose them would be… difficult considering his current employment."

"Employment?" she asked slowly, and it was clear that it wasn't rhetorical.

"Well you see… where he works is, to put it simply, misunderstood. How much do you know about The Syndicate?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Are you telling me-"

"I'm not telling you anything, Amelia; I'm asking you what you know about The Syndicate."

The pair stared at each other for at least a minute following Harry's question, though on Amelia's part it was more glaring than staring, and it was clear from the tightness of her brow that she was very, very unused to people, let alone children, being able to hold eye-contact when she was pulling her danger-stare. Harry just looked back emotionlessly, save for the flickers of amusement in his gleaming emerald eyes and thin lips. "I know that they are considered a dark supremacy group," she finally ground out, "and if Sirius Black is affiliated with such… ideals and circles then I will suggest that he is kissed following his capture."

Harry cocked his head to the side, his eyes narrowing slightly though not in anger, rather scrutiny as he steepled his hands; his elbows resting on the arms on the chair as he peered across his knuckles. "You seem like a highly intelligent woman, Amelia. You seem to be the kind of person that will take down anybody if they've broken the law, whether they're considered above it or not, and Snape in a way is proof of that. The thing is, your information on The Syndicate… where did you happen upon it?"

"Numerous reports," she fired back sharply, "from aurors I trust and who have been with me for years."

"Any of them muggleborn of half-blood?" Harry watched her mouth open and her eyes narrow into slits, and had to stifle a smirk when her sharp retort caught in her throat. He allowed her a couple of seconds to stew in the new revelation and then sighed before leaning back and taking a sip of the amber liquid in his glass. "Now you see, I respect you… a lot. Thing is, your reports and 'trusted aurors' have also been exposed to pureblood ideals for their entire lives – whether they're overt bigots or not. The Syndicate does incorporate Dark magic into their practices, Amelia, that I will not deny, but not for nefarious purposes. Tell me, Amelia, the raid on Littleton Manor you led three years ago… how did that turn out?"

Her jaw clenched tight, and Harry heard the ice in her glass tinkle as her hands tightened dangerously around it; her knuckles white with fury. "How _dare_ _you_?" she hissed scathingly, and her wand quickly made it into her fingers, prompting Harry to hold up both his hands, glass still held in one. "I lost _fifty_ good men and women-"

"And how many would you have lost if lethal curses were authorized?" For the second time that night she was rendered speechless, and her wand wavered slightly. "However much the DMLE is a crime fighting force I'm afraid that you're still in the middle ages… in fact it's not just the DMLE that's in the middle ages. Muggle police carry _guns_; weapons of lethality, just like wands, but unlike us they can't choose what to fire. What they are _trained_ to do however, is that when in a situation where their life, or that of another's, is in danger then they shoot first and ask questions later. How many stunners did your men and women use, Amelia? How many times were those enemies revived by their allies to kill more of your people? How many lives could have been saved if your aurors were given the green light to use lethal spells?

"In fact, how many lives could have been saved if they were _trained_ to use lethal spells? I've fought aurors, Amelia, _your_ aurors, several times. Don't look all pissed like that, because they're PATHETIC! One of them, when I was clearly armed with a knife and wand, cast a fucking _jellylegs_ jinx at me! The other cast a goddamn _stunner_! And the third, for fuck's sake Amelia, the third cast an _expelliarmus_ at me! When I had a fucking _knife_! Now let's compare, shall we? Let's juxtapose Britain's aurors with… Germany's.

"When I got into a scuffle with three _German_ aurors it was a completely different ball game. I was in much the same situation, though carrying a gun in full view alongside my wand while I was casing a drug cartel's storehouse. As soon as they saw me do you know what the first curse they threw off was? Bombarda. Second curse? Deffodio, followed by diffindo, and then crucio to get me down if the first few failed. It should also be noted that all those spells were fired from _one_ of the aurors within five seconds. His two buddies both fired off spell chains too, and imperio and crucio was in their mixes."

Harry threw his arms out helplessly, his eyebrows raised in a look of acceptance. "This is the country we live in. As soon as I told the German aurors who I was with they stopped firing and immediately fell in, asking what they could do to help."

"A-and who were you with?"

Harry looked at her, deadpan for a moment before lowering his arms and throwing back the rest of the glass, sending her a slightly withering look. "Who do you think? It sure as shit wasn't the girl guides."

Her wand jerked back up to point at his head, and Harry cocked his head to the side fraction looking amused once more. Ragnok was sat watching the whole thing with a hand over his mouth to hide his grin. "You're with The Syndicate? You know what I'm legally obliged to do Mister Potter."

He chuckled and sent her a pout, "Back to formal address Madam Bones? And I thought we were getting along so well."

"Harry James Potter-Black, you are under arrest for consorting with an illegal organization, evading arrest-"

"You seem to think, Madam Bones," Harry interrupted calmly while looking right into her eyes and allowing his aura to bleed out slightly, "that should you actually attempt to bring me in I'll go quietly. By aiming at my head you reduce your chances of hitting me by twenty percent due to the small body mass I am presenting, you're also considering a spell to use, and you picked a stunner," he grinned at her shock and tapped his temple with his index finger, "and also you're forgetting that Ragnok is here also, and the fact that he and I are so familiar should clue you in to the fact that I have an ally in him, and him in me." Her wand was shaking, and Harry finally shrugged before leaning back and resting his chin on his upturned fist with a Cheshire-cat grin on his lips. "And lastly, you're also pointing a carrot at me."

Her eyes immediately jerked to look down at her 'wand' and she actually recoiled with a look of horror when she saw that she was indeed holding a carrot; a long, thin carrot yes, but a carrot all the same. Her eyes flickered for a moment to her ankle, and for the first time Ragnok spoke; his hand dropping to reveal a razor-sharp smile. "Harry summoned the wand on your ankle at the very beginning of this meeting when your adrenaline was pumping in order to distract you with a replacement spell. I believe a stick of celery is now in your second holster."

"Hermes likely shared his memories with Ragnok before coming; to prepare him for all this," Harry explained, "but that is not the point right now Madam Bones. I am not here to hurt you, bribe you, or extort you in any way, shape, or form. I am here simply to offer you the truth, and to see what you wish to do with it." She lowered the carrot to her lap, still looking terrified, and Harry's grin softened as he leaned forward and poured himself another glass. "Now, Madam Bones, let me tell you about The Syndicate…"

Amelia Bones, Harry soon discovered, was not at all an easy woman to convince. It took four hours, over twenty oaths that Harry so-carefully worded to evade things such as his position in The Syndicate, and several visitors from various departments _of_ The Syndicate whereby their operations were explained in bare-bone terms. And even then, and the end of all that, Amelia still stared at him for five minutes straight – her patented 'scare you shitless' glare burning into his 'scare you shitless glares don't work on me' ice-calm gaze.

"God fucking damn it Harry, pour me another brandy."

Harry just smiled and leaned over to grab the crystal pitcher, "Of course Amelia."

By the time Harry returned to Hogwarts at three in the morning he was incredibly tired, but also incredibly satisfied. He'd gotten Hermes to drop him off in the Astronomy Tower so he could walk all the new information and plans in his head off, and meandered whisper-silently down the stone corridors; deftly avoiding prefects until he found himself standing right outside the Hufflepuff common room entrance. He looked down at the barrels in front of him and smiled before leaning down and tapping a small rhythm on the metal surround of the lid. Since he didn't find himself doused in vinegar and the door swung open he concluded that he had successfully managed to get through the legendary defenses.

He had Grindelwald to thank for that; who'd have thought he of all people was a 'Puff before transferring to Germany?

He wandlessly cast a series of spells over himself to nullify his magical signature and conceal his physical presence, and then stepped foot into the warm, welcoming common room beyond. He tensed when he saw two students sitting facing the door, but breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that they were asleep – not at all surprising considering the time. Striding past them he walked up the stairs to the dormitories and stared thoughtfully at the steps leading up to the female rooms. Hogwarts no longer supported his every move, nor gave into his every request – not though anger, in fact the pair had a very amiable and friendly relationship, but just so that Lady Hogwarts could watch Harry struggle, and also so that Harry could occasionally have a challenge.

It took a grand total of three minutes for Harry to unlock the wards surrounding the stairs; far more intricate than Gryffindor's, Ravenclaw's, or Slytherin's – surprising considering it was the house of the loyal and honest. With all the others a simple levitation charm and magical suppression ward would do the trick – for the Hufflepuff's… well if you didn't want to be stuck to the wall in your underwear, and have alarm klaxons going full-bore in your ear, as well as alerting the entire house and the Head of House… then you probably shouldn't try and get into the girl dorms if you have a penis.

And if you don't have one of them, and you thought Polyjuice was a good idea, then have fun being _butt-naked_ stuck to the wall with klaxons going full-bore in your ear. Visible only to the females of course – because men seeing that would just not at all be appropriate. Harry, for the nth time in his life, considered just what kind of logic Lady Hufflepuff possessed.

He walked quietly up the steps, cringing when the fifth one creaked loudly, and his head jerked over to look at the two prefects sleeping on the couch. The girl groaned slightly and shifted, and Harry gently pressed in on her with some legilimency; stimulating her sleep center directly. He thanked Merlin for the foresight to make sure that he left backdoors in the people he trained in Occlumency. It took several minutes for him to locate the room he was looking for and he quietly opened the door – immediately smiling as he inhaled the familiar scent.

He crept across the soft carpet and knelt down to the bed in the center of the room; smiling as he looked down upon his fiancé, and within a few years wife. Her face held reminiscent hints of Bellatrix Lestrange within it, but she was far more beautiful than the insane Death Eater ever could be. Where Bellatrix's hair was jet black and unorderly, Tonks' fell in luscious, deep, deep crimson locks that reached just past her shoulders. He brushed a lock of it away from her face and smiled when a smile crept over her face and she sighed deeply; her eyelids fluttering for a moment before finally opening to reveal captivating ruby irises.

"Hey Nym," he murmured lowly, and she smiled up at him before closing her eyes and throwing back the sheets. Her invitation needed no words, and within ten seconds Harry was settling against her back; one arm going underneath his pillow and the other intertwining with hers over her toned stomach; their naked flesh burning hot against the other's. As he was falling asleep he had to give a small smirk – what on Earth would McGonagall say?


End file.
